New Article in the IP Life-CycleTM Series

​Who Really Owns Your App?
5 Exclusive Rights The “Owner” of Copyright Holds
by KEN SIDELINGER, Managing Partner, IP Commercialization, Nolte Lackenbach Siegel
​​The other day, my friend Dave asked me for legal help with commercializing his new software application - “Life Connect” – which he planned to offer to customers on a Software as a Service (SaaS) basis.
 
As we talked more, I learned that Dave had paid one of his college buddies, Rick, to develop the Life Connect application. I asked him to see any documents between he and Rick regarding the development effort.  He said they had only agreed verbally on the terms of the development (mostly, payment terms), other than one unsigned Statement of Work (SOW), outlining on a high level the functionality desired for the Life Connect application, but without any reference to ownership of underlying intellectual property rights – especially copyright. Read more...

IP COMMERCIALIZATION

​Once our Clients create and protect their valuable IP, we help them in all stages along their path of Commercializing that IP for Success! 
We believe that a successful company is built on a strong portfolio of contracts – where value is determined in large measure by how efficiently and effectively contracts are managed as a critical component of the business.  We have identified over 20 different types of IP agreements that a company must address during its IP Commercialization Life-cycle.  We differentiate ourselves from other lawyers by the enhanced and focused level of business knowledge and legal experience we bring to each project – we do not believe IP transactions are just like every other type of business deal; but instead, are ones that require expertise, experience and an industry understanding gained from drafting, negotiating and closing thousands of IP transactions. 

IP Life-CycleTM | Countdown To Success
Depending upon where a Client is on the IP Commercialization Life-cycle, we can provide any of the following assistance: 
  • Corporate Formation
  • Seed/Startup Funding
  • NDAs, Employment Agreements, Independent Contractor Agreements, Master Services Agreements
  • Open Source Licensing
  • Outbound IP Licensing  Agreements – Software License Agreements, SaaS Agreements, Subscription Agreements, Support Agreements
  • Complex IP Transactions -  Joint Development Agreements, Joint Collaboration Agreements, Joint Ventures
  • Channel Programs – Referral Agreements, Reseller Agreements, Embedded Technology (OEM) Agreements
  • IP Diligence for Patent Licensing, IP Divestitures, M&A Activity and Fundraising
  • Operational Agreements – Security Agreements, Inbound Technology Agreements, Cloud Services Agreements
  • Data Privacy – Data Processing Agreements, GDPR compliance, Privacy Policies
  • Export Certifications
  • Contract Lifecycle Management – Processes, CLM Systems, and Forms
  • eDiscovery  for Investigations, Audits and Litigation
  • Contract Templates – we draft Simple English Language contract templates which have proven many times over to reduce sales cycles and redlines, and to foster a positive and trust-building contracting experience for our Client’s business partners and customers.
  • Negotiations – We excel in collaborating with our clients to achieve a “Getting to Yes” negotiation and closure of discrete transactions.
​Because most of our work is done on a Fixed Fee or Not to Exceed basis, we are able to really dig in to understand our Client’s needs, interests and objectives for each project we undertake, without our Client having to pay for us to “get up to speed.”  
We guide our clients through the entire lifecycle of commercializing their IP, from simple NDAs to  licensing  templates to complex transactions.  We believe that a successful company is built on a strong portfolio of contracts – where value is determined in large measure by how efficiently and effectively contracts are managed as a critical component of the company.  We have identified over 20 different types of IP agreements that a company must address during its growth lifecycle and we help our clients in all stages along their path to success.  ​

Practice Areas

No matter the size of the client, Nolte Lackenbach Siegel Intellectual Property Law Group strives to provide the most value-added, cost-effective services tailored to the needs of each client and each client's matter.
We offer a full range of patent services across all major fields of technology. Through our relationships with patent law firms around the world, we can assist with all of your international patent needs.​
From counseling to dispute resolution we help ensure that our clients comply with applicable laws, regulations, and guidelines as well as best practices.​
Among the top 10 filers nationwide, our trademark department handles: searching, filing, prosecution and maintenance – both domestically and internationally.​
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We successfully represent clients in infringement matters both in and out of court. The Litigation department's experience extends to all areas of Intellectual Property.​
Once our clients create and protect their valuable IP, we help them in all stages along their path of Commercializing that IP for Success!

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From preparation and filing to enforcing registered rights, our Copyright department specializes in avoiding infringement of third parties, licensing, copyright acquisition issues, and more.​
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© Nolte Lackenbach Siegel 2021