For us here (Austria / Europe) this is usual and made by the laws here, that the person who did the job owns the intellectual rights if NOT otherwise (due a contract between the parties) stated.

In worst case, if you are an employee and work as a designer and they kick you out of the company, you could also claim all you have done the whole time.

Guess the rest of the world is a bit other?

And about the second posting (from the start of this discussion): there are always people around which are doing the job for nothing or not much.
Most of my clients were fallen in this trap before.