Generative AI raises five sets of issues not often found in IT contracts. So do other machine learning (ML) systems, particularly those trained on massive datasets. The issues are complex,... read more →
I used AI to generate the image below. (I wanted new wallpaper for my laptop, but this was a bit more sci-fi than I had in mind.) Take a close... read more →
This is the third and last in our series of posts about contracts for purchase and sale of AI. Click here for the first post in the series and here... read more →
During the past year, interest in AI has surged. So have questions... read more →
This is the second of a three-post issue-spotter about contracts related to artificial intelligence. Click here for the first of the series. Prompt: write software based... read more →
Contracts about artificial intelligence raise most of the same issues as other software agreements. But they raise unique issues too, particularly when they involve generative AI, like ChatGPT. This is... read more →
Many software-as-a-service (SaaS) contracts grant a "license" to the vendor's software. That's a mistake. Licenses authorize making copies of on-premise software. Customers don't copy SaaS, so they don't need a... read more →
We are excited to launch our inaugural Tech Contracts Master Class™ series on October 5. Join us! And check out our webinars; next one is October 20. What are the... read more →
We recently discussed typical IP issues in tech contracts, live on LinkedIn. If you have a LinkedIn account, you can watch the program, which lasts just 25 minutes ... and... read more →
This fall is the time to expand your information technology contracting expertise. Don’t wait! Join us. Tech Contracts Academy® distance learning opportunities include Tech Contracts Master Classes™ (a 7 ½... read more →
Some intellectual property indemnities exclude claims about IP registered after the contract's effective date. The tech provider argues that it shouldn't be responsible for IP it didn't know about when... read more →
Here's a typical grant of rights from a software end-user license agreement (EULA): Provider hereby grants Customer a license to use 30 copies of the Software. Common though that clause... read more →
Contract drafters regularly confuse cloud services with traditional products and services. They approach software-as-a-service (aka SaaS) and other cloud services as if they were either software products or old-style services,... read more →
On January 27 and 28 of 2020, David Tollen will be speaking at the Advanced Licensing Agreements 2020 conference in San Francisco, from the Practicing Law Institute (PLI). It's a... read more →
The one hour webinar David Tollen presented on December 3rd is now available online. Click here to access it through our host, The Western Banker's Association. The presentation addresses how... read more →
The feedback license appears in many tech contracts. It usually gives the vendor a broad, perpetual license to any "feedback" from the customer's staff: any suggestion about the vendor's products... read more →
By David W. Tollen Tech industry professionals use “intellectual property” to describe two different creatures. They also use “IP lawyer” for a broad list of professionals with little in common. Few... read more →
Many software-as-a-service (SaaS) contracts grant a "license" to use the vendor's software. That's a mistake. Licenses authorize making copies of on-premise software. SaaS isn't copied, so it doesn't need a... read more →
CIO.com recently published an article by our founder, David Tollen. Please click here.
By David W. Tollen This is the fourth in a series of five posts on Open Source in Software Procurement. Click here for the prior post, and click here for the intro, which... read more →
By David W. Tollen This is the third in a series of five posts on Open Source in Software Procurement. Click here for the prior post, and click here for the... read more →
Contract drafters rarely understand open source software (OSS). They see it as a threat, so when they're buying software, they try to exclude OSS from their vendors' products. In most... read more →
by Deborah Pulido If you are an internet service provider taking advantage of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act safe harbor, you have until December 31, 2017 to re-register your designated... read more →
by David W. Tollen and Nathan Leong You’re a lawyer looking for online software and other tools to run your firm—tools like email, word processing, calendaring, timenotes, legal research, and... read more →
We’ve posted a new contract in the forms library — and it’s available in MS Word (no charge, as always). It's meant to serve as a customer's primary contract for... read more →
Capterra's IT Management Blog just published an article by David Tollen: 5 Simple Rules for Negotiating Software and IT Contracts. It's a customer-focused articles, addressing five mistakes customers tend to... read more →
We've posted a new contract in the forms library -- and it's available to you in MS Word (no charge, as always). The new form is for professional services by... read more →
Managing and sharing big data creates technical challenges unlike anything found in traditional data-sharing relationships. But big data contracts don’t involve a whole new field of legal knowledge. If you’ve... read more →
In an earlier post, I explained that the standard "feedback license" arises out of a misunderstanding of IP -- and generally asks too much from the would-be licensor. After some... read more →
In last week's post, I addressed the myth of idea ownership. I explained that no one can own an abstract idea. I also argued that, therefore, no one needs a... read more →
Technology companies often worry about ownership of ideas they hear. If a contractor or partner gives us an idea, do we need a license to use it? What if it's... read more →
Most IT contract drafters know the difference between a software license agreement and a technology services contract. In a license, the customer gets rights to copy and use software, while... read more →
