Commercial
IP assignment
The clause that makes the work you paid for actually yours.
Definition
The contractual transfer of intellectual property in the delivered work from the provider to the client, usually on payment. Without it the provider may retain ownership of code they wrote for you, regardless of who paid.
Why it matters
Read this clause rather than assuming it. Two details matter most: whether assignment is immediate or conditional on final payment, and how pre-existing provider tooling embedded in your product is licensed. Both are normal to negotiate and expensive to discover later.
Related
Read next
Statement of work (SOW)
The document that defines what is being delivered.
Read the definition ›Data processing agreement
The contract governing what a supplier may do with personal data.
Read the definition ›Escrow (source code)
Depositing code with a third party so you can get it if the provider disappears.
Read the definition ›Handover
Transferring work and the reasoning behind it.
Read the definition ›Next step
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