Software Development And Licensing: What Retailers Need To Know

Every retailer today uses some form of software, whether it be a computer program running on local hardware, a hosted web site or an application running in the cloud or on a mobile device.

Unfortunately, many retailers purchase such software or hire a programmer without thorough legal review of the contract.  Such retailers risk having wasted money on a software product or service that does not meet expectations, contains errors, costs way more than originally estimated, or even worse, infringes someone else's intellectual property rights or causes a security breach, resulting in expensive litigation.

These risks can be avoided with proper legal review by a lawyer experienced in technology contracting.  This article provides a summary of some of the key provisions and legal risks that need to be dealt with in a software development and licensing arrangement.