We’ve added a new section to the site: Resources, a growing library of plain-English guides to the software IP questions we hear most often.
Many of the software disputes we see start long before anyone files suit. A contractor agreement that says “work made for hire” but never actually assigns the code. A sign-up screen that never really asks users to agree to anything. A product name nobody cleared before launch. Each one is cheap to fix early and expensive to fix after the parties have fallen out.
Our Insights posts follow the law as it changes. The Resources guides are the other half: evergreen explainers for founders, CTOs, and in-house counsel who want to understand the rules before a deal, a departure, or a demand letter forces the question.
Here’s what you’ll find there now:
- PROTECTION OF SOFTWARE: How copyright, trade secrets, patents, trademarks, and licenses work together, and why most products need more than one of them. If you’re not sure where your gaps are, start here.
- WHO OWNS THE CODE: Why paying a contractor doesn’t make you the owner of the code, why a “work made for hire” clause won’t fix that, and the founder and co-founder traps most guides skip.
- COPYRIGHT REGISTRATION: Which versions of your software to register, how to deposit source code without exposing your trade secrets, and why the timing of registration decides whether statutory damages and attorneys’ fees are available.
- TRADEMARKS: How to clear and register a software or SaaS product name, including Class 9 versus Class 42, timing the filing to your launch, and the specimen that proves use.
- TERMS OF SERVICE: Why courts look at your sign-up screen as closely as the terms themselves, and the arbitration, auto-renewal, and change-of-terms rules that apply in North Carolina.
Every guide answers the main question up front, then works through the details with citations to the statutes and cases that matter. Each one ends with a short FAQ, and the newer guides also list what to bring to a first conversation with counsel, so that conversation moves faster. You’ll see a “Last Updated” date under each guide’s title, too. The law in these areas doesn’t sit still, and we’ll update the guides as it moves.
We’ll keep adding guides over the coming months. If there’s a question you’d like us to tackle, or one your company is facing right now, please reach out. We’d love to hear from you.
