Releasing Source Files

[gotoAndCrash]

Greetings Community,
I realize that the description said "NO technical questions", & I hope that this does not qualify as technical...

This is mostly geared toward freelance situations :
What are your opinions on releasing source files to clients? Is it general practice to just give them the .fla along with the .swf?
I personally feel that the client pays for a final product - as in, they don't require to obtain the hammer & saws that a carpenter uses to make them a fence...they pay for the fence.

I ask myself "Why don't I give them the source .fla?" - & the best reason I can come up with is "Because I don't want to." - but I feel pretty strongly about not wanting to.

So how do you handle it, provided that the client asks specifically for the source (as most, in my experience, don't even care)?

Now, I've made quite a few "example files" for members on here, & have absolutely no problem showing people how to accomplish things - so I'm not talking about our little FK community, I'm only talking about professional freelance clients. Are they/should they be entitled to MY source files?

Feelings?
Thoughts?
Opinions?
Popsicles?

[blazes816]

Discussed before. I believe that the general consensus last time 'round was charge extra for flas, but I'm not positive.

[tidenburg]

If they're paying for an exclusive and you're letting them resell it then give over the .fla

[gotoAndCrash]

yeah, I read thru the other threads about this topic, which were all several years old & i thought "New blood, New opinions".

[argonauta]

you think you should give something. The client should think they should get something. Sometimes, what you guys think is different. So, have a contract, and specify there what you provide to the client. If the contract doesn't specify sourcefiles, you don't give them to the client.

If you want to go any deeper, you can add licenses to the sourcefiles (where what and how the client can use them), for example, you can give them all photoshop files, but specifying none of that can be used for any other thing except their website.

Always be clear about what you're giving and what you're not giving them. Any intelligent client will want the sourcefiles though.

[gotoAndCrash]

Any intelligent client will want the sourcefiles though.

heh, "intelligent" client? oh, man, sorry, I HAD to say it!!
JUST KIDDING!

While I'm (for now) more against giving up source files, I am certainly open to creating sites or elements that are updatable, so at least they have control over content.

I guess I don't really know what I'm "scared" of...maybe I'm just a control freak!

[PAlexC]

Anything that's client content, you should give to them. If you have proprietary / generic code you want to protect, pre-compile it into an .swc and implement it as a component in the client's project. They get re-compilable source, you protect your assets.

[EVPohovich]

Hand over the source files, stop being unprofessional! If you are worried that they will take your work, which they paid for, to someone else then step up your game...!

Simple as that.

[Chris_Seahorn]

I'm a little surprised the subject hasn't come up with the client already. Usually (IMO) people looking to contract Flash already understand about source code and inquire about it. Normally source code versions cost more (for obvious reasons).

I just wrapped on private musician/event booking system for a husband and wife team in Canada who book musical ensembles and deal with about 750 musicians (active pool). They specifically requested the source, were quoted a price to reflect that request and it was worked out beforehand. Since the system is dynamic it's controlled via a desktop application and they did not recieve the source code for that (which again was their decision and would have been nearly double the cost over the top of the frontend source code alone...admin controls are normally more complicated than the things they control). They have the option to purchase later (or not) and while they can freely change the frontend their pool of musicians and booking clients see...their admin controls are proprietary to me.

[gotoAndCrash]

both good points, PAlexC & EVPohovich, though I do wish that stepping up one's game really was as simple as that...While I spend many late, late nights practicing, honing, improving & having my gurlFriend consider leaving me (for the "other woman" named Flash) - so does everyone else!
However, you're right.

[FlashLackey]

Hand over the source files, stop being unprofessional! If you are worried that they will take your work, which they paid for, to someone else then step up your game...!

Simple as that.

seconded.

i have a lot of experience with clients and most of them have stories about a developer holding the source hostage. consequently, most companies in a position to hire flash developers on a regular basis have contracts outlining ownership of code up front.

there are some occasions where i believe charging more for source code is justified. but, for what flash is used for 99% of the time, it would be a rip-off. the odds are that your code is not as special as you think it is. it has most likely been done several times in other languages (and maybe flash), offered for free somewhere or is so unique to the clients project that it would be useless to anyone else.

of course, you can set any requirements and charges you want as a freelancer. it's your business. i can just confidently say that charging more for code will instantly make you less competitive than at least 85% of the market.

[Napalm]

In my ten years in the business I've only been asked to give sourcefiles once - by the company I worked at. The company retrenched the graphics department, and illegally appointed the boss' girlfriend as graphic designer, who promptly deleted all the backups of the last 3 years work. I sent them the sourcefiles encrypted in a zipfile within a encrypted zipfile.

I've never given the client the sourcefile simply because I've never been asked for it. The fact is, unless it's specified in the contract, the design and sourcefiles is your intellectual property regardless of whether the client paid or not.

[gerbick]

I've always charged more if the source files were asked of me... honestly, simply because I have to re-arrange it to where it will make sense to anybody to work after I do.

[MagnusVS]

I personally feel that the client pays for a final product - as in, they don't require to obtain the hammer & saws that a carpenter uses to make them a fence...they pay for the fence.

About this metaphor: Shouldn't you consider the software as the hammer & saws and everything you make with them, the product? If a carpenter makes you a fence, you should be able to change it on your own, without paying the carpenter more money.

[gotoAndCrash]

Nice one, MagnusVS - that sounds more correct.
I feel pretty enlightened by everyone's input, thank you.