Apps
If you've got the idea for the next big app, the last thing you want to do is watch all your hard work fall away because you didn't get the legals right.
We are familiar with app development, and may even be able to understand your source code, so you can be sure that you are getting informed, pragmatic advice.
What our clients say
Head of Legal, major energy company:
“highly trusted"
Director, cloud services provider:
"really appreciate the advice, thank you"
Director, IT managed service provider:
"picked up on details ... responsive ... got the work done in a timely manner"
Not breaking laws
You'll want to make sure that your app complies with all relevant laws, as well as with the terms of any third party app stores you intend to use to distribute your app.
We will assess the obligations which apply to your app and make suggestions as to how you can minimise risk and maximise compliance while still delivering a fantastic app.
App terms
If your app, or the overall service, requires a user to agree to some terms before they can use your site or service, lets us know, and we can work with you to put something suitable together. We have experience across all major app stores, and more niche experience with Free / open source licensing.
If you, like us, think that no-one reads terms and conditions and just clicks "okay", we can help you get the information across to your users in a clear, concise and engaging manner, without leaving them feeling like they've been hit by a dictionary.
We can also help you with information mandated by law, including information companies are required to show.
Minimising liability
There are increasing demands for providers, particularly of online storage services, to "do more" to prevent use of their services for infringement of copyright or publication of libellous statements.
If you run a service sitting behind your app, such as the storage and distribution of images, the presentation of user reviews or — perhaps especially — file sharing, this is well worth checking out.
We can support you in designing appropriate processes and controls to deal with these issues, as well as advise you on notices or demands received from rightsholders, companies or individuals.
Development agreements
If you want a third party to develop an app for you, you'll need to think carefully about what the agreement should cover. Who owns the copyright? Who is responsible for testing? What if the app infringes someone's copyright or patent rights? Do you have to use that company for updates or improvements, or can you go elsewhere? Get these (and more) closed off properly in a pragmatic app development agreement.
Privacy by design
You will most probably want to design your service in a privacy friendly way, processing as little customer data as possible, using it only for clear, stated purposes, deleting it when you have finished with it, and ensuring that you protect it at all times.
We can help you understand your legal obligations for data handling, including using other companies to process for you, as well as those processing offshore.
Once you have a plan for handling any personal data, we can draw up a suitable privacy policy for you, so that your users know exactly what you are going to be doing with their data.
We can help with traditional privacy policies, and also have ideas about how you might communicate more effectively than just a page of words.
"Can I use code [x]?"
You want to a use someone else's code or image or sound in your app? Not sure whether code you have found on the web is something you can include or not?
We can help you solve potential licensing nightmares, and we have particular expertise in dealing with Free and open source software licences: get to market faster with some simple compliance steps. Did we mention that Neil literally wrote the book on this? (Well, the chapter on compliance for businesses...)