Are you a software developer who wants to manage your relationship with your customer? Are you are an organisation that wants to pay a software developer to develop software for it? There are inherent risks and there are bound to be stumbling blocks along the way. It is vital to build a solid relationship so that disputes can be avoided and the outcome is successful. The ultimate outcome is software that you need at a fair price.
How we can help
Since the early 1990s, the attorneys at Michalsons have been active in advising software developers and companies who rely on software. We have structured and negotiated countless software-related agreements for software companies and customers. Our experience covers all facets of the process – from development agreements to software license and support (maintenance) agreements, and application service provider (ASP) agreements or Software as a Service (SaaS) contracts.
While the vendor community relies heavily on template agreements, Michalsons adds substantial value by:
- drafting, reviewing and negotiating IT contracts, including development contracts,
- assisting clients in structuring their relationships,
- protecting their intellectual property rights,
- ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements,
- maximising revenue, and
- generally avoiding unintended consequences which are often ignored or overlooked.
This is a specialist area and attorneys who know about software development are able to deal with the issues efficiently and effectively.
Open source and software development
The increasing use of open-source (for example GPL) software arrangements, rather than simplifying the process, often places a premium on the use of experienced attorneys in order to address the full spectrum of issues raised by open-source software.