Protecting Your Purchases As A Tech Business

Many tech businesses need to incorporate different types of technology that are not necessarily pieces of hardware or full software packages. Sometimes it's hiring a programmer for one small piece of code to provide a single function, or using a technique that may be copyrighted in the future. It's a good idea to not only pay for these services, but to make sure that the transaction is in writing. Here are a few tech purchasing concepts to keep in mind and legal hurdles to avoid before they get too close.

Partial Code And Specific Methods

What defines an intellectual property? Can you really claim ownership to a small piece of code that isn't it's own software? Sometimes, yes, that can happen. Patent disputes often come down to how certain lines of code are written and how vital they are to a project, as well as whether the techniques are generic to the point of being a natural next step or a truly novel work of programming art.

If you're working with a hobbyists or freelancer, you need to protect yourself from future litigation. A business litigation services professional can help you by figuring out not only what should be paid for as a service, but by drafting contracts that detail the extent of the purchase.

In some cases, royalties may need to be paid or may be asked for in the future. In others, you may have a one-time purchase that others may have to purchase for royalties or continued licensing fees, and in some situations you may even buy the full rights to the software.

Full rights would be the best option, but it's an issue of cost versus awareness of the original programmer. Be sure to have a business lawyer on hand before hiring programmers to make sure that everyone is on the same page, for both your sake and your future tech partners.

Challenging Code Reuse Elsewhere

Code resuse is a major part of programming and the tech world in general. You can't patent everything, and some patents exist solely to make sure that the techniques stay open and unprofitable as a single item.

That said, if you own specific parts of code and have seen others profit from your work, you need to take action. It's about making sure that your work work pays off for you, and that no one tries to make a claim on your work.

Although making sure your business gets paid for its work is the main objective, there are ways for unscrupulous patent trolls to claim ownership for your work and then demand royalties from you. It may be unlikely, but it's a waste of your time and legal resources for something you could stop with the right licensing beforehand.

Contact a business litigation services professional to discuss preventative legal protection along with current legal challenges.