copyright - How exactly should I ask my employer for design use permission on paper?

I'm an employed graphic designer. I did illustrations, branding and prototyping for my employer. I'm aware that without a specific contract, whatever work is done by a salaried designer, is the company's property.

Hence, I want to ask my employer to permit me to use and publish the works I did for them in my portfolio since it was not covered in the contract. My employer is willing too to give permission if I draft the permission letter because they don't have any special way of their own to do it.

But my question is how do I ask, "see these particular works were done by me and I'm going to use them as such and with such wording. Give me permission." How do I mention those specific works in paper in the permission letter? And how do I say see I'm going to present them like this?

Email is a way, then I can attach the works. But any way to do this on paper?

Answer

I don't think it's overly complicated. You could easily write up something which states they give you permission. You don't need some huge contract or anything.

[Your name] has permission to display work created while under the employment of [Company name] for the purpose of a design portfolio.

At no time is work be resold, repurposed, or redistributed. Permission is given to merely display, in print and web form, completed projects which [your name] is responsible for overall visual design.

Permission is granted to display the following design projects:
- Client Z Branding
- Client Y Tri-fold [product] brochure
- Client X Illustration of [subject]
- Client W [application] User interface
- Client V Website Interface

Authorized Signature _____________________________ Date _____________

Traditionally, even in work-for-hire situations (employment) you do still have the right to use things in a portfolio as 'fair use" unless they've specifically made things "confidential" or you are under a non-disclosure agreement as well.

If you are under a confidentiality agreement or NDA, then you may need to list the exact projects they are giving permission to display - but I am not a lawyer and if such an agreement exists, without knowing what it states, I'm speculating based upon my own experience with NDAs.

You could ask over at http://law.stackexchange.com , but they won't give direct legal advice and this question really kind of comes close to that (i.e. an actual lawyer may not answer it).