Modifying a website created by a different company

NightShadow · 4 Feb 2011 at 16:15

I have been asked to add some features/mods to a website which was built by another company around 18 months ago. Now the overall layout and design is not changing just extra features, banner rotator/slider, gallery etc and some SEO being done to really improve the site.

Are there any issues/problems with modifying or changing work by another company? The original company has put their "designed by ..." at the bottom with a link to their website but I want to take credit for the bits I am adding to the site, what would you do here? Also, an image on the site still has the istockphoto watermark on and I doubt it has been paid for, I am going to replace this anyway but should I report the web design company or just replace it and not say anything?

RoyMi6 · 4 Feb 2011 at 16:19

Put your work in the comments in the HTML

If it's a lot of work you're doing add it to the footer with something like "Maintained by RoyMi6".

Report them if you want, more than likely they'll say they had no idea about it and that it "must have been the client" or something equally hard to prove.

blade007 · 4 Feb 2011 at 19:23

Just replace the image, mate. It's not so cool to score points. It may have been an accidental oversight.

FabienO · 4 Feb 2011 at 23:04

Well they either paid them to own the design or they didn't. Ask the company.

8t10 · 4 Feb 2011 at 23:37

The design company may have signed over copyright when they finished the project, double check this with the client before you start work.