I THINK I am posting this in the right section. Here is my issue. The graphic Designers that work for the place I work were trying to come up with a logo for a specific department. The director of that department hated all of their ideas and I was asked to do it. I do freelance work actually I'm just getting into it after school and practice. So I made a logo presented it he loved it and said he wanted to use it. He then brought it to the CEO who also approved it and I haven't heard anything else from it. I never actually gave them the logo just a sample jpeg and some ideas with different colors on a website. They did have a sample of the new program out and it in fact had my logo printed on the front as if they were going to use it without paying or even saying anything to me. I was asked what I would want when initially starting the project and we were supposed to meet about it before the use of it. Now I am thinking of moving to a different state but want to protect my logo unless they will actually buy it from me. What do I need to do? Is there a certain document I should ask them to sign? Sorry if this question seems like common sense I just don;t know much about freelancing.
You have no rights to work done as part of your employment unless there is a written agreement stating otherwise (and they would have to be fools to sign this after the fact). That doesn't mean you won't get anything extra. They may work something out with you that is to their liking or give you a bonus. But again, you have no power in this situation. This may have been outside of your normal scope of work, but that does not make it freelance design work. This was an expansion of your everyday work duties.
Send a demand letter for payment for the logo, reminding them that they have not paid to own the rights to the logo. If they ignore you and use it, then good for you. Hire a lawyer and sue them for their infringement.
No this wasn't any expansion of work duties. It was not done at work it was done on my own time and my job has nothing to do with design at all. I was asked if I has ideas and an email sent was asking what I would want using the wording "would she want anything other then recognition?" and we are supposed to have a meeting so I was more so asking ideas of what to bring to the meeting protecting my work. I haven't given them anything besides a sample. This was not done as part of my "job duties".