Tip of the Month

When you retain  a contractor to develop software for your company, keep these key IP considerations in mind when creating your Software Development Agreement:

1. Get ownership rights, and beware of joint ownership.

2. Get specific on potential transfers of rights.

3. Acknowledge and address the risk of bankruptcy.

4. Ensure that ownership is correctly transferred. Use the present tense in any assignment of rights and account for pre-existing rights.

5. Monitor indemnification carve-outs.

For more detailed advice, check out this law.com article by Daniel C. Glazer and Arianne de Govia.

In the Community

ACLU of Washington’s High School Student Conference on Civil Liberties: Focal was happy to help out by presenting in the ACLU of Washington’s high school student conference on civil liberties.

University of Washington’s Entrepreneurial Law Clinic (ELC): Focal PLLC is proud to be participating in the University of Washington’s Entrepreneurial Law Clinic (ELC). You can find more information about the ELC here.

Hoang v. IMDb: Venkat attended and covered (for The Hollywood Reporter’s “THR, Esq.” blog) the trial resolving claims asserted by an actress against IMDb: “Actress Suing IMDb Takes the Witness Stand“; and “Actress Suing IMDb Faces Tough Questions on Second Day of Trial.”