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Denver Software Licensing & SaaS Agreement Attorneys

The most critical issues for software companies include monetizing their software and guarding against piracy. Software licenses and SaaS agreements ensure that software developers get paid and have the tools to prevent unauthorized use of their software. Sequoia Legal understands your legal needs when structuring licensing and end-user agreements.

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Why Software Licensing Attorneys Are Important for Software and Technology Clients

There is no one-size-fits-all software licensing agreement. Instead, you need an agreement tailored to suit your exact needs. It should address:

  • The nature of your software
  • How your customers will use the software
  • Your business model for monetizing your software
  • The conditions and licensing requirements you want to place on customers

For example, you need different types of licenses for beta tests vs. full releases. Your license agreements must also address different factors based on whether the user installs the software on their computer or accesses the software through the cloud.

You need a software licensing attorney with a broad range of experience with different business models, software platforms and delivery systems, and customer relationships. Your lawyer will not only know how to structure legally sound software agreements but may also suggest how you can get the most out of your intellectual property and trade secrets.

Our software lawyers have decades of experience negotiating and drafting agreements for licensing software to customers.

What Is Software Licensing?

Licensing agreements give limited rights to the use of your intellectual property. They do not convey ownership rights. As a result, licensing is ideal for monetizing your software while maintaining total control over its development, distribution, and use.

A license can grant or deny users of the software the right to:

  • Install
  • Copy
  • Modify
  • Sell
  • Distribute
  • Access source code
  • Incorporate it into other products

A license also gives you a mechanism to terminate a user's access to and use of your software when they misuse it.

software licensing attorney

What Is Included in a Software Licensing Agreement?

You can include any limitations in software licenses that do not abuse your market power. Some common provisions in software licenses include:

  • The terms of use
  • The parties to the agreement
  • The conditions for termination
  • How disputes will be resolved
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saas contracts lawyer

The heart of the license lies in the terms of use and conditions for termination. The terms of use will explain:

  • The license fee
  • How the software can be used
  • Whether the user can copy the code
  • The number of installations or computers licensed
  • Whether users can incorporate the code into their products
  • How you will support and maintain the software for the user

The termination section will address the grounds for termination and what happens after terminating the software license.

Get Help from a Denver, CO Software Licensing Attorney Today!

Contact Sequoia Legal to discuss your software licensing program and how to tailor your software licensing agreements to your company’s needs.

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What Is SaaS?

SaaS stands for "software as a service." For decades, users considered software a product. But high-speed internet and cloud computing allowed the industry to treat software as a service. Instead of buying software, users buy a subscription to use software running on the cloud.

SaaS raises different contractual issues from conventional software packages. If you provide SaaS, you need a software licensing law firm that understands your business model and how to tailor your SaaS agreements to it.

software licensing attorneys

Components of a Software License Agreement

Software and technology clients have unique needs in the business world. They often invest years in developing software and need license agreements to ensure that they get paid for their hard work.

  • Explain how users pay you for their use of your software
  • Clearly describe what users can and cannot do with your software
  • Outline the support and maintenance you will provide, including a limitation of your liability if a software malfunction affects users’ businesses

Your software and SaaS lawyer will supplement these core terms with additional language specific to the services you provide to companies. For example, if you provide a graphics engine and application interface, you will explain how users can incorporate your software into their products and engage in third-party licensing.

software license dispute attorney

What Can an Experienced Software Licensing Attorney Help You With?

A software license agreement attorney will provide a range of services to help you structure your end-user license agreements, including:

  • Discussing your revenue model and advising you about alternative models, if needed
  • Consulting with you about the provisions you want to include in your software license agreements and SaaS agreements
  • Negotiating with users for licensing of your technology and software services
  • Drafting agreements based on the negotiated deal points
  • Stepping in as your software license dispute attorney if users violate contract provisions

Importantly, an experienced technology licensing attorney can also identify alternatives to software licenses, such as:

  • Licensing patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets instead of licensing software
  • Switching to a subscription model by providing software as a service

Under your business model, you might even need additional contracts for your users, including:

  • Open-source licenses
  • Software service agreements
  • Source code escrow contracts
  • Non-circumvention agreements
  • Source code licensing agreements
  • Software development agreements
  • Click-through or shrinkwrap agreements
  • Non-disclosure and non-competition agreements
  • Intellectual property and trade secrets sales agreements

Software and technology clients often have unique needs depending on their products, their revenue models, and even their commitments to investors and licensors. A software license attorney will create a set of agreements to address all your needs.

Schedule a Consultation with a Denver, CO, Software Licensing Attorney Today!

Our software licensing attorneys understand how to turn your business model into an enforceable license agreement. Contact us to schedule a consultation to discuss your software company and its needs.

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Why Choose Sequoia Legal Attorneys to Handle Your Intellectual Property and Business Contract Matters?

Technology companies are not experts in software licensing. Your goal is to create software products and services that entertain, increase productivity, or simplify tasks. Our software and technology clients turn to us for:

  • Creative contract drafting based on a wide range of prior deals
  • A deep understanding of the technology industry and its unique needs
  • Knowledge of how intellectual property and contract law affect software and technology clients
  • Legal advice and counsel from decades of experience representing high-technology clients

You’ve put years of development work into your software products and services. We act as your trusted legal advisors in bringing those products to the marketplace. Sequoia Legal provides the knowledge, experience, and skill to help you protect and monetize your technology.

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OUR TEAM

Meet Our Denver Software License Lawyers

Software licenses present both intellectual property and business legal issues. Our Denver software license lawyers have extensive experience in both these fields, putting us in an ideal position to help you.

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Our Successful Cases

No Penalty Voluntary Disclosures to US Gov

Companies routinely face complex situations when exporting or doing business internationally. There is a complex set of laws and regulations applicable to the persons, places and products involved in international business. Businesses sometimes end up violating or running afoul of these highly technical and complicated rules. Sequoia Legal has represented various US and foreign companies in conducting internal investigations relating to suspected violations of US sanctions and export controls. Following completion of these internal investigations, where necessary, we have assisted clients in voluntarily disclosing suspected violations to US authorities and have obtained favorable outcomes, including reduced penalties or no penalties. This has allowed our clients to sleep at night and continue to expand and do business internationally in compliance with applicable US law.

Successful Sale of Technology Startup

Our team at Sequoia Legal regularly helps sellers and buyers of businesses navigate the intricacies of the purchase and sale process to help them achieve their dreams. In this case, Sequoia Legal was brought on by the owners of a local technology company in a sale to a strategic acquirer with a total transaction value in the multiple millions. We successfully negotiated transaction agreements, including due diligence with the buyer and post-closing employment agreements, and closed the transaction within an expedited 30 days period. As part of this process, we helped educate the sellers through their first transaction and work through the emotional roller coaster of selling your business.

Rock Solid FCPA and Export Compliance Programs

Our Denver export compliance law firm has extensive experience with export administration regulations, the FCPA and international trade and can assist clients with developing export control and FCPA compliance programs. We ensure each client follows appropriate FCPA, export control compliance and foreign trade regulations for their industry, and our clients hail from nearly every industry sector. The attorneys at Sequoia Legal have successfully assisted and provided continued guidance for several international companies regarding the internal implementation of FCPA and export compliance plans. These companies employ and engage in various transactions with individuals and companies around the world. To ensure continued compliance with US sanctions laws and regulations following the implementation of the FCPA and export compliance programs, Sequoia Legal has conducted company audits, interviews and internal FCPA training programs. Due to the diligence of the Sequoia Legal team, zero issues or enforcement actions have been taken by the US government against Sequoia's clients for any FCPA or export related matter. An investment in a Sequoia Legal compliance plan has saved our clients time, focus and money.

Searching for Search Fund Success

And Finding It! Sequoia Legal regularly helps search funds and individuals find, acquire and successfully build new businesses. Our client was a search funder focused on acquiring a company in the professional services industry. We assisted in negotiating several LOI's that fell through, but as a result of that process, we found the right acquisition fit and assisted our client in executing an LOI, conducting due diligence, structuring the deal, negotiating the purchase agreement, working with the SBA and completing a deal that included a cash payment, SBA loan and seller financing with a variable note that reduced if certain revenue metrics were not achieved. We then assisted our client with several "tuck-in" acquisitions to further augment and accelerate the client's goals and exponentially grow revenue.

What Our Clients Say

5.0

39 Reviews

5

Susan B.

Andrew Lopez is always there to help. He is professional, responsive and understanding. Thank you Sequoia Legal!

5

Jason L.

I can't say enough great things about Hunter and Andrew and the Sequoia team. We purchased a small business, and they were efficient, knowledgeable, and direct with their feedback about the deal and its structure and available when we needed them. We hope to do many more transactions with Hunter and Andrew, and the team. If you're looking for great counsel for a business transaction (and I'm sure any other matter they'd represent) - you'll be in great hands working with Sequoia. Bravo!

5

Jeffrey B.

We trust completely the expert advice and care we receive from Sequoia Legal as they provide their invaluable services to our growing businesses.

Areas We Serve

Contact a Denver Software Licensing Attorney to Help You with Your Software Legal Matters Today!

Your company’s needs are unique. You cannot rely on off-the-shelf license agreements to meet them. Instead, you need a lawyer who will tailor an agreement to your products, services, and revenue model.

Contact Sequoia Legal to discuss your business objectives, and let us create the right software or SaaS agreement to meet them.

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Denver Office

7355 E. Orchard Rd., Suite 375 Greenwood Village, CO 80111

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Office Hours

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Licensed in New York, Colorado, & Alaska with an international flair

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is a common mistake software developers make when first licensing their products?

A common mistake happens when software developers give up ownership of their software. Licenses do not transfer ownership of your software. They only permit the use of it. An agreement should expressly reserve ownership of your software.

Do machine learning or AI agreements differ from standard software licensing agreements?

Your agreement should address both the software you created and the improvements made by the AI or machine learning algorithm. In other words, you provided the seed. The agreement should explain who owns the plant that grows from it.

What are some examples of businesses that can benefit from hiring a software licensing attorney?

Companies that use software licenses and SaaS agreements include:

  • Game developers
  • Application developers
  • Software programmers
  • Open-source developers
  • Cloud-based SaaS providers
  • Custom software developers
  • Healthcare technology clients
  • Financial technology (FinTech)

These are just a few examples of clients who use our services.