
Ask HN: How do you protect the IP of proprietary platform, toolset, and SDK? - venture_lol
Our scenario is such that we have developed a comprehensive SDK, platform, tools and processes -- toolset. Our toolset enables us to be competitive with regard to time, budget, and quality.
We have successfully used our toolset for our projects and we are exploring using our toolset to build software projects (SOW) for clients. Customers will need our toolset to maintain and operate the software systems we will build for them.<p>We do not want to lose control (ownership, right, etc) of our toolset. We do not want customers to use our toolset to build new products to compete with us.<p>We are thinking that a good approach would be to license our toolset to specific customers for use for specific products that we built for the customers or that the customers will build themselves.<p>How would you protect the IP of proprietary platform, toolset, and SDK when you have to use said toolset for contracting work or when you want to limit the scope of usage?<p>All your thoughts and feedbacks would be most welcomed and appreciated.<p>Thanks...
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davelnewton
Sounds like you need an authorization solution for specific aspects of the
toolset. Is there a reason you can't lock down specific functionality (e.g.,
"Create New Project")?

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venture_lol
Yes, we are thinking about specifying the licensing term such that clients
cannot use it to create new project.

We are looking for the proper phrasing, wording, template and general
experience of folks who have been on either side of the table on this issue.
The more we know, the better we will negotiate so to speak ;)

