In addition to freelance writing, I also develop websites for writers and publishers. Recently, I developed a website for a magazine publisher who now refuses to pay me. What should I do?

You should tell them that your design work is copyrighted. Since they haven’t paid you, you still own the copyright. So, not only have they committed theft of service, but they’re violating US copyright law as well. That should make them act pretty quick.

If that doesn’t work, turn them into our Whispers and Warnings Forum and notify their ISP that their client has published your copyrighted material without permission. ISPs are, to some extent, legally responsible if they fail to remove copyrighted material from their servers. Read the 1996 Telecommucations Act for more information on this topic.