Business Matters
Making IT Happen

Legal services for the IT Industry

Every IT business, whether a software house or an e-tailer selling online has something in common. When it comes to legal services a variety of skills are needed for success.We are a medium sized Firm providing relevant legal services to small, medium and large organisations not only locally in the Midlands but also nationally and overseas.

By focusing key skills in a number of lawyers and adopting an accessible and commercial approach, our clients have found that we provide the right ingredients of experience:

EXPERIENCE IN:

DELIVERING

THE SOLUTION

THE WAY THAT WE DELIVER OUR SERVICE TO YOU IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US. WE MAY BE DEALING WITH HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE BUT WE RECOGNISE THE VALUE OF A PERSONAL SERVICE.

To help you, we have developed a range of products and schemes specifically for the IT industry. In the case of Internet-based businesses, these include:

• A FREE guide for your B2C business to comply with the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations and
• A package of B2C items for your e-commerce site - including - Privacy Policy, Security Policy, Terms & Conditions and others (POA)

To access these you will need to e-mail us your request.

We are members of the Lawyers for your Business Scheme and as such can offer an initial free half-hour consultation, or alternatively we can gather the appropriate information we need by telephone or email. This will allow us to scope the sort of work that you require and the likely budget.

FAQs- please see our Disclaimer

1).How do I protect my idea?There is a range of options and these are discussed on our “intellectual property” page in this site.

2).Do I need a Data Protection Licence? Probably - this is entirely dependent on what data you are collecting and how you are going to use it. By way of an example, if you have contact details for people which you will then use for marketing purposes, the chances are that you will need a licence and to operate without one would be a criminal offence. You can speak to the relevant registry about the situation and obtain forms of application etc on 01625 545745 or from their web site address - see above. Alternatively we can review your requirements and assist you in making any application that is necessary.

3).Are there any legal implications of setting up in business to operate over the Internet? In short - loads! The best approach would be to meet with us for a FREE initial consultation under the Lawyers for your Business Scheme to scope likely requirements.

4).Who owns the software source code?

Assuming we are talking about bespoke software or unique parts of software then the most likely possibles are:

• the creator (default position if no employer)
• his/her employer
• the customer (but only if specific arrangements put in place otherwise will default to one of the above) or
• someone else to whom ownership has been transferred (remember that statute says that the transfer would have to be in writing to be fully effective, though there are important practical exceptions to this rule)

Each situation needs reviewing separately. Please contact us for advice on your particular circumstances.