
Ask HN: How to structure JV for SaaS with existing IP? - kexemirrarr
I develop and maintain a website &#x2F; research platform for a former colleague. I introduced some novel ideas into their research platform, a year or so ago, utilising some common machine learning models. They are very happy with the work.<p>They paid me for this work at an hourly rate. I have been quite generous partly because I consider my former colleague to be a friend and also because I felt I would learn something useful. I feel they now have an excellent system that is robust and for an incredibly cheap price.<p>They would now like to market the whole platform as SaaS. My former colleague has a very good reputation within their industry and plans to sell the platform to other businesses in the same field.<p>They&#x27;ve offered to form a Joint Venture with me for the new setup. I would be responsible for developing and managing the platform and they would be responsible for marketing it.<p>I&#x27;m quite aware of the extra effort involved converting the existing code base into a SaaS and the additional overhead of maintaining the product for multiple customers. It&#x27;s a lot of work.<p>I also have a day job and a family life. The day job is well paid and family life can be quite demanding.<p>I see the benefits of the JV. I will gain 50% of the Intellectual Property that I have already developed. My former colleague&#x2F;friend has a good chance of successfully marketing the suite and perhaps I might quit my day job sooner than planned.<p>I also can&#x27;t help seeing asymmetry in the effort, that is writing code + testing, live support, systems setup etc vs selling the system (which unfortunately I envisage as having the occasional lunch&#x2F;calling up old friends &amp; perhaps asking for favours). I might be overplaying this part.<p>I was wondering if anyone here had any thoughts? Perhaps others have had similar experiences with success or maybe it didn&#x27;t work out?
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icedchai
Did you actually sign an IP agreement when you did that contract work? If not,
it's your copyright anyway.

Selling this stuff is actually much harder than you think. A lot of
organizations have home built solutions that work "okay" and are hesitant to
switch. There are internal gatekeepers who will need demos, evaluations,
test/trial accounts. That can go on for months, sometimes years.

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kexemirrarr
Thanks. That's a very good point. In this case I have been commissioned to do
the work. No agreement was in place and UK law says it is my copyright.

[https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ownership-of-copyright-
works#com...](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ownership-of-copyright-
works#commissioned-works)

That really does remove one of my perceived core benefits from this venture.

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zoobab
"Intellectual Property"

you mean your copyright?

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kexemirrarr
What's the distinction in your opinion? Is copyright something that can be
enforced by law whereas IP isn't?

