Legal considerations when building an app for your business

By Jamie Hill - 9 April 2020

Expert Voices

In the ever-evolving world of technology, it’s becoming increasingly important for businesses to stay in touch with the latest developments and keep pace with the competition. With more transactions taking place and more content being consumed via the net, it’s critical that any enterprise hoping to make an impact on the market has a strong online presence

Having an excellent mobile application certainly plays a huge role in that. There are more than two million apps available on Apple’s App Store, while the number of Android apps on Google Play is said to be closer to three million, highlighting the sheer volume of options that cater to all needs.

In a modern, fast-paced world, being accessible while your consumers are on the go is an absolute must. And there’s so much to think about when building an app for your business. You need to have an idea of its appearance, functionality, software and the user experience, to name just a few.

Another key consideration is the legal issues you will have to contend with. As experts in your particular field, you may not be familiar with the legislative factors around the process, which is where the likes of Withers can advise you. Here are a few elements you may need guidance on:

 

Non-Disclosure Agreements

NDAs are contracts between parties that agree the information they share between themselves will not be passed on to anyone else. So, if your business has a great idea for an app but you need help fleshing it out with another person or company, you can enter into an NDA to prevent that confidential information being used for gain by others.

App Development Contracts

Entering into one of these contracts protects both the business and the app development company. The agreement sets out the parameters of the work as well as the details of the licensing deal. It should protect the developer’s ownership of the intellectual property of the code and define the privacy laws surrounding the business’ access to it.

Trademark and Copyright

Trademark relates to the protection of something which can identify the origin of the services or goods your company provides. For example, the name of your app and the logo it uses. Copyright safeguards the content of the app, such as the code, text, design and imagery. You can apply for international trademark protection if you’re thinking about expanding your organisation into other territories.

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