Intellectual Property
Visual Identity believes in professionalism, transparency, and fairness. When you use our website design and development services, you agree to our terms and conditions.
One of the most common questions clients ask is: “Who owns the intellectual property in my website?” Other suppliers may take different approaches, so here’s exactly how our agreement works.
Who owns the Intellectual Property?
When we create your website, we remain the author and owner of the intellectual property in the code and designs we produce.
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You own: all of your content, branding, images, copy, and ideas.
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We own: the specific lines of code we write and the designs we produce to meet your requirements.
This isn’t unusual – under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, designers and developers automatically own the IP they create unless agreed otherwise.
Why do we retain code ownership?
The way we write, structure, and refine our code is one of the main assets of our company.
In practice, this means we may use small, tried-and-tested elements of code we’ve written before (such as a contact form or navigation feature). Re-using these saves you time and money, while ensuring stability and quality.
If we gave up ownership of our intellectual property for every project, neither you nor we would benefit from this cumulative experience.
If you decide to use our website design services then you agree to our terms and conditions. This often leads to questions about intellectual property, who owns what, and how this affects you. Not all suppliers may handle this in the same way, but we just want to explain how our agreement works.
What about domains, hosting and content?
It’s important to be clear: while we own the intellectual property in our code, you always own your domain name, hosting account, and any original content or assets you supply.
Your brand identity, business data, and creative materials remain entirely yours –safeguarding your independence and protecting your business.
How does this affect you as a client?
Owning our code does not restrict you. Quite the opposite:
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You can move to another supplier to maintain or update your website.
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You can adapt or change the site yourself with the right skills. There are no restrictions.
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Because we use web standards and open-source technologies, your website remains flexible and future-proof.
The only restriction is that you cannot duplicate or resell our code for use elsewhere. For example:
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You cannot buy one website from us and then create 10 copies.
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You can sell or transfer your original website to a new business owner as part of a business sale.
Legally, this is covered by an irrevocable and perpetual licence to use the code we provide. This means you have complete freedom to use and transfer your site without losing independence.
Can I own the Intellectual Property?
If you require full IP ownership, the only route is to employ a developer directly. Most agencies, including us, cannot compromise on this principle because it protects our ability to deliver consistent, professional results for all clients.
The good news? You don’t need IP ownership to retain control. Our model ensures fairness, flexibility and freedom – without hidden restrictions.
Future-proofing and business continuity
Our IP agreement is designed with continuity in mind:
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If you decide to sell your business, your website can be transferred to the new owner under the same licence, without extra fees.
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This ensures your online presence stays aligned with your business goals.
It’s a simple, fair system that works for the long term.
Project completion & final invoices
We issue our final invoice once the project is complete as agreed at the start.
If progress stalls due to issues outside our control (e.g. waiting for content, or third-party hosting problems), we may still issue the final invoice. This ensures fairness to our team and suppliers.
But importantly:
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Final payment does not end our service.
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We’ll continue to support your website once the issues are resolved.
This approach ensures fairness, professionalism, and transparency for every client.
Ready to start your project?
If you have any questions about intellectual property, website ownership, or our approach to design and development, we’d love to hear from you.
Contact Visual Identity today to discuss your project and discover how we can support your business.
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