A company wants me to build them an app for free, and I have permission to use their branding while maintaining complete control over the app. What legal issues are involved, and are there boilerplate legal docs for this arrangement?

Question

So I get access to their brand, and social network for pushing this out. I can charge what I want for the app.

They do consulting, so having this app makes them more prestigious and competitive.

This is my first "rodeo", what do I do to protect myself legally?

(I know all the disclaimers, and won't hold any answerers accountable for their advice, etc. I just want a point in the right direction, thanks!)

Answers: 2 public & 0 private

Lawrence lau
IP Broker

There are several ways this can go
a) you retain copyright and grant them permission to disseminate (distribution agreement)
b) while label where you allow for different skins (design elements) and grant certain exclusive/limited use
c) work for hire where you assign copyright in return for permission to perpetually use registered trademarks

Each has pro/cons so the devil is in the details.

6bf20cd266
Lawyer

I agree with Lawrence. You need to figure out if this is a work for hire and if so, make sure that your contract with them specifies who retains the copyright ownership. Are you going to use parts of this app for other clients? If so you might want to retain copyright ownership and give them a license to use your coding for the app. You want to have, in writing, permission to use their intellectual property (text copy, trademarks, etc.) to create and market the app.

I don't know of any boilerplate docs for this type of situation; it's possible they're out there on the interwebs. You can check on sites like Legal Zoom but your best bet is to talk to an attorney and have them draw something up for you.

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