Payment Is Not Ownership: Secure Your IP Assets Through the Right Contract
Rights assignment
Licenses
IT contracts
NDA
Franchise
In IP law, one rule is absolute: «What is not written in the contract belongs to the author». You may pay thousands of dollars for code, logo, or design development, but without a proper property rights transfer agreement you are effectively «renting» the result. The developer can sell the same code to your competitor. They can refuse modifications. They can demand royalties for each new use.
O'LAW attorneys in Lviv draft IP contracts for IT companies, startups, media, and any business working with creative or technical content. Every document is adapted to your specific asset and business process — not an internet template. Current as of 2026.
Risk table: without contract vs. with O'LAW contract
| Situation | ❌ Without contract (or template) | ✅ With O'LAW contract |
|---|---|---|
| Code / design owner | Freelancer / Author | Your company |
| Right to sell to competitor | Author can sell to others | Exclusively yours |
| Making product changes | Author's permission required | Free modification |
| Use in franchise | Without contract — illegal | Legal concession |
| When selling the business | Investor will walk away | Rights documented |
Types of contracts we draft
Rights assignment
Full «purchase» of economic copyright. You become the new owner, the author loses rights to use the work. Critical for logos, core technologies, exclusive content (Art. 1107 Civil Code).
License agreement
Permission to use while the author retains rights. We specify: period, geography, usage methods, royalty amount, exclusivity conditions (Art. 1108-1109 Civil Code).
Commission contract (with contractor)
For work with freelancers and agencies. Includes automatic property rights transfer upon act signing, list of specific objects, resale prohibition.
Work made for hire (employees)
For staff developers, designers, copywriters. Employment contract with proper clauses ensures: code and content created at work belongs to the company (Art. 16 Copyright Law).
NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement)
For contractors, partners, investors. IT-specific NDA protects: code, algorithms, databases, pricing models, product roadmap. Fixed penalty + damage recovery.
Commercial concession (franchise)
Legal foundation for selling a franchise: transfer of TM use rights, know-how, standards. Requires registered TM and agreement registration at UkrNOIVI (Art. 1115-1123 Civil Code).
Specialization: IT and E-commerce
We understand tech business specifics and draft a complete document package:
EULA / Terms of UsePublic offer for SaaS and apps. App Store and Google Play require it
Software Development AgreementOutsource development with staged acceptance, SLA, code rights and warranties
Privacy Policy + Cookie PolicyMandatory for any website collecting data. Localized for Ukraine and EU
GDPR Compliance PackDPA, data subject request procedures. Fine for violation — up to 20 million euros
Open Source PolicyRules for working with open source libraries, license compatibility (MIT, GPL, Apache)
IP Assignment for investorCode and product rights confirmation for due diligence before investment round
Legal framework
IP contracts are regulated by: Civil Code Art. 1107 (IP economic rights disposal agreement); Art. 1108-1109 (license agreement); Art. 1115-1123 (commercial concession/franchise); Copyright Law Art. 16 (work made for hire); Art. 31-33 (transfer, assignment, licensing contracts); Art. 52 (compensation 10-50,000 minimum wages); EU Regulation 2016/679 (GDPR — for EU citizen data processing); Law «On Personal Data Protection» (for Ukrainian users).
Who especially needs IP contracts
- IT companies and startups — code rights, SaaS documentation, NDA, GDPR
- Agencies and freelancers — proper commission contracts with clients
- Media and content businesses — distribution licenses, copyright agreements
- Brands planning franchise — commercial concession agreement + TM registration
- E-commerce and marketplaces — EULA, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy
- Any business before investment — IP Assignment for due diligence
Frequently asked questions
Secure the rights to what you've already paid for
The right contract costs far less than litigation over code rights or rebranding due to missing logo rights transfer. O'LAW attorney will draft the document for your specific case.
Need an IP contract?
O'LAW attorney will draft a document adapted to your business — not a template, but real protection.
- +38 063 404 67 68
- +38 068 679 52 51
- t.me/olaw_help
- o3law.company@gmail.com
- 32 Doroshenka St., Lviv
- Mon-Fri 10:00-19:00, Sat 10:00-14:00
