Intellectual property protection

How would you react to this?

[interested]

Hi! I`m in the part of world where intellectual property protection isn`t a very hot topic yet, but as the time goes by, I`m sure it will. Right now I have a small problem and I`d like to show a person what happens when he wants to claim my ideas and work as his.

The problem is that I was contacted by a small company for making a logo for them. Also I was given a small-weird-coloured-image in order to "do something about it". Sry, as stupid as I am, I didn`t make any special contract, as it was quite a small work. So I showed them some of my ideas. As the time went by, they told me they don`t need my favours anymore. So I left it, but now when I visited their site, I saw my suggested logo on it. It wasn`t 100% exact, but obviously they had used my shape and colours. Only had made minimal changes in word order and font size.

Now when I emailed them with my request for money, they claimed that they`ve made it themselves and haven`t used my version. Clearly the case is the opposite.

How would you suggest me to punish him? I think I want to do this, because intellectual property isn`t something they should be playing around with.

Or am I wrong?

Thanks!

[Leosghost]

Unless you kept all your working drawings ,files etc and placed some of it on servers or etc etc etc ...you just have to count it as your first lesson ...

the only people who will gain if you do anything at all via a lawyer ..will be yours and their lawyers ..

[Macro]

How would you suggest me to punish him?

I don't think you can. Unfortunately, people do cheat and lie in business. That's why contracts exist.

I would put it down to experience and have any new clients sign the dotted line before "sharing" ideas with them.

[whoisgregg]

I had my first experience like this about 12 years ago. Spent weeks working with a client (without a contract) providing variations and then the client disappears. Months later his signs go up with a slight variation of what I had provided him. Sent a bill, no response...

To this day, I have not been able to do anything about that situation. I have only been able to avoid it happening again. :( Lessons learned...