performers selling posters as merch...help!

[miklay]

ok, so i work full-time for a music venue here in seattle designing ads, menus, flyers and posters. i created a poster for an upcoming "show" and the artists have and are going to sell the poster I created as an employee of this venue at the shows as signed souvenirs.

can they legally do this without my permission, since it is my 'work'?

can we (the venue) request a percentage of the sales of these posters?

[RichieGoodtimes]

You should appreciate the exposure.

[dspring]

unless they paid you for the artwork... or have some contract with you... it is still your artwork and they have no right to reproduce it

[RichieGoodtimes]

But seriously folks...

Since you created it as an employee of the venue, it is the venue's property and not yours...in most cases.

But...if the band plans on selling it...the venue should totally be able to take a merch cut.

Who physically produced them? The band or the venue? That should help in determining how much the split is.

[dspring]

I am curious as to how they got the posters to sell in the first place, though...

[miklay]

yeah, that's what i thought. the venue produced them.

I gave them a stack to use as promotional materials, as they said they would hang them up around town.
They turned around and sold them.

[lil_tuffy]

well... venues do this to bands all the time.

If you gave them to them they can probably do whatever they want with them.

[kozik]

you should sue someone. anyone...hey I know..sue Richie..he's got a fancu house. u could prolly get it if you sued.

[miklay]

thanks smartasses. i should have known not to ask here.

[lil_tuffy]

I wasn't being a smart ass.

I don't understand what the issue is.

It's their show. You gave them posters. Is there something contractual that says they need to be used as promotion?

Is this band so huge that they're going to make a mint selling autographed promo posters?