Fictional case · accreditation practical · Intellectual property
Judge it yourself first
This is a fictional dispute — no real parties, drafted as the accreditation practical. Read the brief, commit to your own determination, then compare it with the venue's. Then tell us where we got it wrong; that critique is the part we actually want. Your committed answer is recorded against your email — it's the practical component of accreditation, and first answers stand.
Fernhill Ceramics v. Atlas Branding — the logo launched before it was paid for
The agreement. Atlas Branding agreed by email to design Fernhill Ceramics a brand identity — logo with two lockup variants, palette, and a usage guide — for £1,800: £900 on start, £900 on delivery of final files. The thread includes one express term both sides confirmed: "all IP transfers on full payment".
What happened. Atlas delivered the final round: PNG previews and the usage guide, though the guide omitted the two agreed lockup variants. Fernhill's founder replied that the mark "isn't what we discussed", declined the final invoice, and asked for "the source files so another designer can fix it". Atlas refused to release files before payment. Fernhill then launched its packaging and website using the delivered PNG logo. Atlas's final email: "Pay the £900 balance. The logo you're using is ours until you do."
The claim. Fernhill claims the £900 deposit back for "unusable work". Atlas counter-asserts the £900 balance is due and that Fernhill's continued use of the mark is unlicensed.