Real-Life Decision Making
You own your own design firm. You've been freelancing for about 15
years and only started the business as a sole proprietorship about two years
ago. The responsibilities -- especially the business of surviving -- are overwhelming.
You do everything from administration to sales and marketing to creative and
production.
It's been a very difficult year financially. Since you started the
proprietorship, you've had the added expenses of rent, telephone and
an answering service, among other things.
Still, you have a good reputation from your freelance days and you're
busy enough, if you could just get one big client.
Henry Hobson owns a local hardware store and runs a thriving mail-order
business as well. He's come to you to put together a flyer for the store.
Hobson is planning a big Thanksgiving Day sale and he wants the flyer to be
colorful and creative.
You have discussed ideas and terms and you're thrilled to have the
account. You know that if Hobson is happy with the flyer, there's a good
possibility he'll consider your firm to do his mail-order catalog --
a 50-page spread that could make a major dent in your financial
woes.
One day, before you've finished the final proofs, in comes Hobson
with a brilliant idea -- or so he thinks. He's been cruising the Internet
and found the home page of another hardware store. They have a great image
of a paint product with a rainbow of colors.
Hobson feels this graphic would look great in his flyer. "Use this picture,"
he says. "It's absolutely perfect!"
You explain to Hobson that while the image is very creative, you can't
use it in his flyer because it's a copyright infringement.
"No, it's not," insists Hobson. "It's on the Internet where anyone
can access it!"
"Yes," you explain, "but looking at it and using it in your brochure are
two different things."
Hobson really wants that image in his flyer. "Who'll know? This other
company is on the other side of the country. They'll never see it. Just
go ahead and do it. I'm sure if you won't, someone else will."
What do you do?