How to Protect IP and Confidentiality in a Software Company

Protect your intellectual property through confidentiality agreements, assignment of inventions clauses, and proper documentation—ensuring your team members understand their obligations and your company owns what matters.

PlayersFounder, CTO
Initial Effort5 SP
Ongoing2 SP
FrequencyAs Needed
StagePre-Revenue

A trade secret gives your company a competitive advantage as long as it remains a secret. Trade secrets include source code, customer lists, business and strategy plans, and employee lists, etc. If your company can prove it took "reasonable measures" to keep an element secret, then there is a legal remedy should an employee misappropriate that information. An IP & Confidentiality Agreement serves as an effective way to prove "reasonable measures" and to protect your competitive position. Don't skip it.

The goal: Protect the IP and confidential information of the company.

How can Golden Section Assist? Golden Section's venture partner can assist here.

Steps

  1. Define your IP and confidential information.
  2. Work with your legal counsel to finalize IP and confidentiality agreements.
  3. Codification. Store your signed Employee Agreements in a cloud-based central backup location for easy reference.
Mistakes this play prevents: #22

Questions this play answers

How do I protect my company's intellectual property?

A trade secret gives your company a competitive advantage as long as it remains a secret. Trade secrets include source code, customer lists, business and strategy plans, and employee lists, etc. If your company can prove it took "reasonable measures" to keep an element secret, then there is a legal remedy should an employee misappropriate that information.

What should an NDA include?

Protect your intellectual property through confidentiality agreements, assignment of inventions clauses, and proper documentation—ensuring your team members understand their obligations and your company owns what matters.

How do I document IP ownership with developers?

Protect your intellectual property through confidentiality agreements, assignment of inventions clauses, and proper documentation—ensuring your team members understand their obligations and your company owns what matters.

What happens to side projects created by employees?

Protect your intellectual property through confidentiality agreements, assignment of inventions clauses, and proper documentation—ensuring your team members understand their obligations and your company owns what matters.

What IP documentation do acquirers want to see?

Protect your intellectual property through confidentiality agreements, assignment of inventions clauses, and proper documentation—ensuring your team members understand their obligations and your company owns what matters.