Sample Contract for Development Work?

Discussion in 'Legal Issues' started by meaghannf, Aug 15, 2009.

  1. #1
    Hi there,

    I'm in search of a sample contract for some unpaid development work. There are a couple of things that are potentially tricky about the situation that I want to be sure to address -

    1) The developer is under contract full time for another company. How do I ensure that his work belongs to me and not his current employer?
    2) How do I phrase a non-competitive agreement (so he can't run off and do it himself next week) and how long do those usually last?
    3) What level of NDA is generally acceptable for someone who's doing the coding work?
    4) What percentage of the company/profits from this development is reasonable if the developer never works with me again? What percentage if he is willing to continue to work 1 day a month?

    Any sample contracts or suggestions anyone has - or experiences dealing with a similar situation - would be incredibly useful for me. Thanks!
     
    meaghannf, Aug 15, 2009 IP
  2. mjewel

    mjewel Prominent Member

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    #2
    You need to hire an attorney. Contract law is different depending on location. For instance, non-competes can have limitations on length of term - and even if both parties sign, it's possible it would not even be valid.

    No one likes to pay attorney fees, but trying to throw something together, especially something that has specific conditions, is something you should not attempt to do yourself or done with a template. More likely than not, if something every becomes an issue, you'll wind up with something that isn't going to be enforceable.
     
    mjewel, Aug 15, 2009 IP