Intellectual property and licensing
Rights that are documented, licences that are specific.
The company holds rights in the technology and materials it develops, and licenses them to operating businesses under written agreements.
What is held
The company holds rights in the software, systems and associated materials it develops, to the extent recorded in the agreements under which that work was done. Where a component originates elsewhere, the terms on which it may be used and sublicensed are tracked with it.
We describe the company’s position by reference to its documentation. We do not make ownership claims that the paperwork does not support, and we do not publish the contents of the agreements themselves.
- Software and source materials
- System designs and interfaces
- Technical documentation
- Associated commercial rights
How a licence is written
Five things settled before anything is relied on.
Scope
Exactly which systems, versions and materials the licence covers.
Territory and field
Where the licence applies and for what use it may be exercised.
Term and renewal
How long it runs, how it renews, and how either party may end it.
Consideration
What is payable and on what basis. Rates and amounts are confidential to the parties.
Support obligations
What maintenance, correction and development the licensor must provide.
Exit
What happens to deployed systems and data when a licence ends, agreed at the start rather than at the end.
Confidentiality
What we do not publish.
Licence rates, contract values, payment arrangements and the identity of counterparties are confidential. They are not published here, and they are not discussed with third parties without the agreement of everyone concerned.
Where a bank, an auditor, a prospective counterparty or a professional adviser needs to examine the company’s contractual position, that is done directly and under appropriate terms.