By Alex Polezhaev
Sometimes it may happen that you find a project you’ve been working on with your overseas programmer in his web portfolio. Although you didn’t allow him to do that or haven’t discussed it with him, many freelancers or entire companies usually consider it their right to publish projects they did online.
Why does it happen?
1. Everyone needs to build their portfolio.
2. Projects done in rare or modern technologies are always of a proud for developers.
Why is it bad?
1. You may not want this sort of publicity when people are searching for your product and find it in someone’s portfolio instead. Well, in this case you should work on your SEO 😉
2. Your direct competitors may contact that firm to develop a similar product since they are already experienced in that area.
Why is it good?
1. Links to your site or product in their portfolio will generate you extra traffic.
2. If your developers put your project into their portfolio, it means that they are really proud of their job and do not hesitate to tell about this to the entire world.
What’s the workaround?
Unless the project wasn’t terminated because your developers disappeared with your money or did really bad job, there is nothing criminal if your developers put online a note about work they did for many months. After all, that’s a part of their life – and their business – too. However, it is your right to include a line into the contract that would describe how (and whether at all) the project will appear in your developer’s portfolio.
If nevertheless a project appears there against your will, you may feel absolutely free to request to remove it from there OR (a much better idea) just to rename it and remove logos or recognizable screenshots. In the latter case you will save your confidentiality and your provider will be able to get more business – everyone’s happy!
What about the legal aspect? Formally publishing any information about a project is a violation of NDA. I believe customers sign Non-Disclosure Agreements with OSP before almost each project.
A good point, Igor. Projects under NDAs are, obviously, out of danger.
Igor, are you being inspired by our blog?
Do you have projects which aren’t under NDA? I’m not sure. So you can’t put information about most of projects into your portfolio, correct?
I’m talking about this here because ISS Art, our company, has the same problem with our clients – they are not happy to allow us publishing information about their projects in our public portfolio. And their argument is NDA.
Regarding you blog – yes, very nice blog! For instance, I was impressed by your article about SkypeFind and have already registered our company there too
Hello Igor,
Yes, there are projects without NDA. Also, terms of different NDAs are different. Most of them just secure that all materials and ideas are treated confidentially. Many of our clients welcome their projects in our portfolio and even ask to write about it in our news, here in the blog and press-releases.