IMHO, the question is quite a simple one.

If you have a written (or oral) agreement which does not explicitly state
that you should hand over the source code, you should not need to do so.
If you have been hired to do a product, then the Product is what you need to
hand over. Nothing else.

Some clients have requested source code from me, and I have always charged
them an extra for it, it goes along these lines:
1# Cost for delivering finalized product
(without any source material,
usually contains 6 months warranty for bug fixes) : 10 000 $

2# Cost for delivering finalized product with source material,
without relinquishing ownership of the code (usually set of disks
goes into safety deposit box, which both have access to)                : 11 000 $

3# Cost for production of finalized product, thereafter delivering
source material and giving client the right to use the source
as he wishes. (price depending on how much updating they might
want to do for themselves etc.)                                         : 14 500 - 17 
000 $

4# The same as above with clearly commented code and instructions
on usage of methods, documentation etc.                                 : 17 000 - 20 
000 $

So if you go along these lines you should charge that dumb agency an Xtra
10-100% depending on what they want to do with it.
If the client demands the source code anyway, you can always spend a few
hours to make your code a lot harder to interpret.
1# remove all comments
2# find and replace all variable names, handler names etc. with versions
which are hard to interpret and differentiate (on a1b4c5, on a4b1c3, on
a5b1c3)
3# remove all behaviour and script member names

Pekka






> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On
> Behalf Of Ian Johnson
> Sent: 22. elokuuta 2001 20:37
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: <lingo-l> OT: Giving away your lingo
>
>
> Hi,
>
> I'm interested to find out how everyone handles clients' requests
> for source
> files.
>
> I have recently completed a project for a client (an Ad Agency with a v
> small multimedia dept). Well, the job is actually for their client but the
> agency doesn't have the skill in house to do this.
>
> Now the project is complete and I have delivered the final run-time
> application on CD, they have requested a CD with all  the
> director and flash
> files for <ahem> archive purposes. I am reluctant to do this as there is a
> lot of hard-earned knowledge gone into the lingo coding.
>
> Short of putting this in t's & c's (which I am doing but just setting up
> business), what is the normal practice for handling this type of request?
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Ian
>
>
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