Trace the chain of rights
Map the product, contributors, development entities and relevant contracts. Review how rights were intended to reach the company and identify missing or inconsistent documentation.
HRNFTR / Services
IP ownership for software businesses
Review software IP ownership, developer and contractor agreements, assignments and licensing issues before investment, licensing or a sale.
Discuss your project →Who this is for
IP ownership for software businesses
For software founders, product companies and investors who need a clear picture of the rights behind a product. Start before due diligence, a licensing deal, a sale or a change in the development team exposes gaps in the paperwork.
The work and what you receive
Prioritise the gaps
Receive a findings list distinguishing missing assignments, unclear contractual terms and dependencies needing further review. We agree which issues must be addressed for the planned transaction or use.
Prepare the agreed fixes
Scope can include assignments, amendments to developer or contractor agreements, and licensing provisions. We can organise the relevant documents for due diligence and identify where technical review of third-party or open-source components is needed.
Illustrative example
How we would approach it
Illustrative scenario: a startup used contractors before incorporation and later hired an internal team. We would map both stages, review who contracted with whom, and identify the documentation needed to support the company’s ownership position. This is a hypothetical example, not a claim about completed client work.
Working together
From the first conversation to delivery
Define the product and purpose
Tell us what the software does, who contributed, which entities were involved and why the ownership review is needed now.
Review the evidence
We agree the contract and document set, review the chain of rights and discuss the findings with the responsible people.
Close the agreed gaps
Prepare the scoped documents and a record of unresolved items, with responsibility for follow-up.
Does this include a technical code audit?
The starting scope is the legal ownership and contract record. A technical code, security or open-source audit is a separate task. If that work is needed, we identify it and agree how the technical findings feed into the legal review.
New matter
Tell us what needs solving.
A short note is enough. We will reply with the right next step.