Attorney Seo Yu-kyung, a former designer turned lawyer and patent attorney, has compiled legal and business knowledge to help designers wisely address the various legal issues they encounter in their work.
What kind of employment contract should an in-house designer sign? Should they unconditionally accept a client's request for revisions? Who holds the copyright to joint creations? These are design contracts and legal common sense that any designer working in the design field should know.

I wanted to be a good designer.
To be precise, I wanted to become a designer who deeply understood the system and principles of work.
I've always wondered how designers make money, how they work, how they protect their creations, and how they manage their careers.
But even when I asked my seniors questions, it was difficult to get a clear answer.
They say curiosity and creativity about design are important, but asking about the structure of the job, contract terms, or work environment seems to have been considered taboo.
--- p.5

When dealing with design-related laws, it would be more effective to lecture on things like "Copyright Protection Guide," "Design Rights Protection Know-How," and "Intellectual Property Rights Protection Strategies" to large corporations that charge high tuition fees, rather than introducing unfamiliar negotiation or contract laws.
But I think that because there are people who think like this, we need to educate people about contracts and negotiations that are suitable for the design industry.
--- p.14

Considering only the fact that they are freelancers, freelance designers cannot report to the Ministry of Labor for 'non-payment of wages'.
This is because freelancers are suppliers who have signed a service contract, not employees who have signed an employment contract.
The money that freelance designers do not receive is not "wages," but "compensation," and the legal stage for this is not the Ministry of Labor, but the "court."
However, even if the title of the contract is written as 'service' or 'consignment', we need to think more carefully about whether it can actually be considered an employment contract.
At this time, we examine how the contract was concluded, what kind of relationship was established with the user and what kind of money was received in return.
--- p.51

The principles of wage management that companies must adhere to are simple.
If it is money that must be paid according to law or contract, it must be paid.
Wages stipulated by law include, in addition to basic wages, overtime allowances, annual leave allowances, and retirement pay.
Stipulated allowances, such as bonuses or position allowances, specified in employment contracts or employment rules are also included in wages.
--- p.76

Service contracts enable strict management and supervision to ensure the efficiency of work performance.
However, excessive authoritarian control can limit the creativity and autonomy of contractors, which can lead to an imbalance in power relations and a lack of respect and understanding.
--- p.106

Sometimes, when we see cases where the price is set at an absurdly low or high amount and ask why, the answer we get is, “Because that’s how it was done in the past.”
Ultimately, the goal is to achieve a great design, but the price is just as important as the final product.
There needs to be an agreement on the amount of the fee so that both parties are comfortable and can focus on the design work.
--- p.124

Statements like “Doing this will be a great experience” or “Working on this project will help your resume” are common in creative fields.
But behind these seemingly encouraging words often lie real, important questions like, "Will my name be included in the credits?", "How can I put this work on my resume?", and "How much will I be paid?"
--- p.201

Before drafting a partnership agreement, smooth communication between the parties is essential.
If you emphasize an overly optimistic outlook in the early stages of a partnership, you risk overlooking problems.
Conversely, focusing only on practical issues may lead to doubts about the progress of the partnership.
What I've learned from observing conflict is that it's best to share opinions honestly.
If you hide your true feelings from each other before signing the contract and then a conflict arises later, the situation becomes very complicated.
If you see signs of trouble, it may be wise not to start a partnership at all.
--- p.219

On the other hand, platform markets do not have to worry about relationships with clients.
You sell items to an unspecified number of consumers and distribute profits according to the ratio agreed upon with the platform.
Platform markets follow a simple and intuitive principle: either it sells or it doesn't.
Designers are creators and businessmen who sell items and share the profits.
Characters, emoticons, videos, crafts, presentations, experiences and know-how—all of these are content and objects of trade.

--- p.226