Software development and maintenance agreement (basic)
This relatively straightforward agreement is designed to cover the development of software by a developer for a customer, the assignment of intellectual property rights in that software to the customer, and the provision of ongoing maintenance services - in the form of updates and upgrades - to the customer.
The development services provisions include a fundamental obligation to provide the services (or to endeavour to provide the services) and to deliver the software (or to endeavour to deliver the software) in accordance with the agreed timetable. However, where the customer must assist in some way with development, delays that arise out of delays in that assistance will not create a breach of those fundamental obligations.
In order to keep the length of this document down, it does not include an acceptance testing procedure, and it assumes that all rights in the software will be assigned, excluding only those third party rights that subsist in elements of the software. If you need a more sophisticated and flexible document, you should consider the standard and/or premium version instead.
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Software development and maintenance agreement (basic) contents
- Definitions: definitions.
- Term: commencement of term; end of term.
Development Services : obligation to provide development services; timetable for software development and delivery; delays in development services consequent upon second party delays; software development coding standards; keep second party informed of development services progress; availability of software to second party during development.- Assignment: assignment of IPR on delivery with full title guarantee option; assignment of owned IPR in software on delivery; assignment for full term of rights; assignment includes right to claim for past infringements.
Third Party Materials : licensing of third party materials (software).Maintenance Services : software maintenance services provision (from delivery); standard of maintenance services; updates warranty (first party application); updates warranty (second party application); suspension of maintenance services; termination of maintenance services for convenience; consequences of termination of maintenance services; assignment of intellectual property rights in update; software includes updates.- Customerobligations: general second party obligations.
- Charges: obligation to pay charges; time-base charges limitations; amounts inclusive or exclusive of VAT; variation of charges.
- Payments: issue of invoices; time for payment of charges following invoice; payment methods; interest on late payments; interest on late payments.
- Warranties: first party general warranties; software licence warranties; warranty of legality of software and documentation; software and documentation IPR infringement warranty; breach of software infringement warranty; second party warranty of authority; exclusion of implied warranties and representations.
- Limitations and exclusions of liability: caveats to limits of liability; interpretation of limits of liability; no liability for force majeure; no liability for loss of profits; no liability for loss of revenue; no liability for loss of use; no liability for loss of opportunities; no liability for loss of data; no liability for consequential loss; per event liability cap upon services contract; aggregate liability cap upon services contract.
Force Majeure Event : obligations suspended for force majeure; force majeure notification and information; mitigation of effects of force majeure.- Termination: termination without cause by first party; termination without cause by second party; termination upon breach; termination upon insolvency; termination upon non-payment.
- Effects of termination: surviving provisions upon termination; termination does not affect accrued rights; charges on termination of contract.
- Further assurance: further assurance (intellectual property); assistance with registration of intellectual property rights; assistance with proceedings relating to assigned intellectual property.
- Notices: methods and deemed receipt of contractual notices; contact details for contractual notices; substitute contact details for notices.
- Subcontracting: no subcontracting without consent; subcontracting permitted; first party responsible for subcontracted obligations.
- General: no waiver; severability; variation written and signed; no assignment without written consent; no third party rights; entire agreement; governing law; exclusive jurisdiction.
- Interpretation: statutory references; section headings not affecting interpretation; calendar month meaning; no ejusdem generis.
SCHEDULE 1 (SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PARTICULARS)
- Specification of
Software : specification of software prompt. Third Party Materials : prompt for identification of third party materials.- Timetable: timetable prompt.
- Financial provisions: financial provisions prompt.
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| Version | 1.4 |
|---|---|
| First published | 1 Sep 2016 |
| Last updated | 31 Jan 2023 |
| Law | English law and EU law |
| Language | English (UK) |
| †Word count | 6,442 |
| †Template pages | 15 |
† These figures are approximations.
