Why software licensing and distribution agreements matter
Software makes money through the rights granted around it, and each layer of distribution is a place where control can leak. An end user licence that is too broad lets one enterprise customer cover a whole group for the price of a single deployment.
A reseller agreement that is too loose lets a partner grant rights you never gave, in territories you never agreed. And a product built on open source components carries licence obligations of its own, which enterprise customers and acquirers increasingly ask about in writing.
These agreements govern how your software is licensed and how it reaches the market.
We help with:
- end user licence agreements, including on-premise and embedded licensing;
- reseller, referral and channel partner agreements;
- distribution agreements, including territory, branding and support responsibilities;
- source code escrow where customers insist on it;
- background IP, customisations and who owns what afterwards; and
- open source compliance in your own product.
We protect the base product while making the commercial layers workable, including, what the licence permits and prohibits, how many users or installations it covers, whether partners can sub-license, and how the arrangement ends without stranding customers. For subscription software, see SaaS Agreements.
Our Approach
Legal advice that makes running and growing your business easier.
We start with your business, not the law.
Before we open a document, we want to understand what you are trying to do commercially. The legal answer is only useful if it serves that.
We get to the point.
You get a clear view of what matters and what does not, in plain English, with the real risks separated from the noise.
We give you an answer.
Not a menu of options and a shrug. We tell you what we would do, why, and where there is a genuine judgment call for you to make.
We stay available.
Whether you work with us on a single project or on a subscription, we are here for the follow-up question. We would always rather you asked.
Ways of working together
Fixed-fee projects
A single, defined piece of work for an agreed fixed fee, communicated before we engage. Reviewing a contract, drafting your terms, handling a negotiation.
No surprises and no hidden fees
Flagship Subscription
Ares Access
Ongoing support on a fixed monthly subscription, for businesses that need commercial legal input regularly rather than as the occasional one-off.
- Dedicated lawyer
- Fixed monthly fees
- Commercial advice on demand
From £500 plus VAT per month
Legal Health Check
Fixed fee of £2,000 plus VAT
Any questions?
Phone: 02382 420035
