Sample Software Development Agreement
Sample Software Development Agreement
1 Definitions and interpretation In this Agreement: Acceptance Criteria means the following criteria: (a) (b) (c) the Software [(excluding the Customer Works)] conforming [material] respects to the requirements of Schedule [1]; in all
the Software [(excluding the Customer Works)] not exhibiting any Defects; and [other Acceptance Criteria];2
Acceptance Period means the period of [number] Business Days following the date of delivery of the Software to the Customer;3 ... Customer Works means: (a) (b) the works and materials identified as such in Schedule [1]; and any other works and materials that: (i) (ii) the parties agree [in writing] shall be incorporated into the Software; and are provided to the Developer by the Customer, or by any third party acting for or on behalf of the Customer, for incorporation into
This standard Software Development Agreement includes provisions covering the development of the Software, acceptance testing by the Customer, and the licensing of intellectual property rights in the Software to the Customer. The template includes optional provisions relating to different licensing models. The software licence may be limited to particular users, particular premises, a particular number of concurrent users, a particular number of installations, or a particular computer system. You should take care to ensure that your edited agreement is internally consistent. If you simply include all of the optional provisions in this document, it will not be consistent.
2 3
The Developer undertakes to deliver to the Customer Software that meets the Acceptance Criteria. This is the period during which the Customer must conduct any acceptance tests in relation to the Software.
the Software; Custom Software means [those elements of the Software identified as such in Schedule [1] / all elements of the Software, excluding the Third Party Works and Customer Works, created by or on behalf of the Developer on or after the Effective Date] in executable format only; Defect means a defect, error or bug having [an / a material] adverse effect on the appearance, operation or functionality of the Software[, but excluding any defect, error or bug caused by or arising as a result of: (a) (b) an act or omission of the Customer, or an act or omission of one of the Customer's employees, officers, agents, suppliers or sub-contractors; or an incompatibility between the Software and any other system, application, program or software not forming part of the Environment or otherwise specified as compatible in Schedule [1]];
"Developer Software" means the Standard Software and the Custom Software [including where the context permits any authorised derivatives of the Developer Software created by or on behalf of the Customer under this Agreement]; Effective Date means the date of execution of this Agreement; Environment means the computer hardware and software environment for use in which the Software will be designed, the requirements for which are set out in Schedule [1]; "Escrow Agent" has the meaning given to it in Clause [12.1];4 ... Milestone means a specific milestone, achievement, notification, action or other event identified as a milestone in Schedule [2]; ... ["Source Code" means the source code of the [Standard Software / Developer Software][, together with all other technical information reasonably required to enable the maintenance, updating and modification of the [Standard Software / Developer Software][, and including where the context permits any authorised derivatives of the source code];] Standard Software means [those elements of the Software identified as such in Schedule [1] / the Software excluding the Custom Software, the Customer Works and the Third Party Works / all elements of the Software, excluding the Third Party Works and the Customer Works, created before the Effective Date] in executable format only; Target Delivery Date means the target date for delivery of the Software specified in Schedule [2];
If the source code for the Software is not being provided to the Customer, the Customer may want to enter into a separate escrow agreement in relation to such source code. Under a typical escrow agreement, a third party escrow agent will hold an (up-to-date) copy of the source code, and will release that code to customers if the Developer becomes insolvent or in other specified circumstances. See Clauses 10 and 12.
Third Party Works means: (a) (b) the works and materials identified as such in Schedule [1]; and any other works and materials that the parties agree [in writing] will be incorporated into the Software as Third Party Works; and
Term means the term of this Agreement. ... 2. Term This Agreement will come into force on the Effective Date and will continue in force [until [date or event], upon which it will terminate automatically / indefinitely], unless terminated [earlier] in accordance with Clause [15].5 3. 3.1 Services overview The Developer will design and develop the Custom Software and integrate the Custom Software with the Standard Software, the Third Party Works and the Customer Works, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. The Developer may sub-contract the provision of any of the Services without obtaining the consent of the Customer. OR 3.2 ... 4. 4.1 Development and delivery [Subject to the Customer's compliance with Clauses [6], [7] and [9],] the Developer will [use [all] reasonable endeavours to]: (a) (b) attain each Milestone by the relevant date set out in Schedule [2]; and complete the development of the Software and deliver [two copies of] the Software to the Customer [on optical disk] on or before the Target Delivery Date. The Developer must not sub-contract the provision of any Services without obtaining the prior written consent of the Customer.]
[3.2
... 5. 5.1 Customer acceptance testing During the Acceptance Period, the Customer will carry out tests to determine whether the Software meets the Acceptance Criteria; and the Developer hereby grants to the Customer a temporary licence to use the Developer Software for the sole purpose of carrying out such tests during the Acceptance Period.
This agreement has been drafted on the basis that the licences of software will terminate upon the termination of the agreement. So, in almost all cases, the agreement should not terminate upon the completion of the development services.
5.2
If the tests referred to in Clause [5.1] indicate that the Software meets the Acceptance Criteria, the Customer will send to the Developer a written notice of acceptance of the Software, such notice to be issued not more than [number] Business Days following the end of the Acceptance Period. If the tests referred to in Clause [5.1] indicate that the Software does not meet the Acceptance Criteria: (a) the Customer will send to the Developer a written notice setting out in detail the respects in which the Software does not meet the Acceptance Criteria, such notice to be issued not more than [number] Business Days following the end of the Acceptance Period[; and the Customer will within [number] Business Days following receipt of a written request from the Developer re-perform the tests indicating that the Software does not meet the Acceptance Criteria in the presence of representatives of the Developer].
5.3
(b)
... 6. ... 7. ... 8. ... 9. ... 10. 10.1 Licence Subject to the limitations set out in Clause [10.2] and the prohibitions set out in Clause [10.3], the Developer hereby grants to the Customer from the date of acceptance of the Software by the Customer a [non-exclusive] [worldwide] licence to: [(a) (b) (c) (d) install the Developer Software; use the Developer Software in accordance with its documentation; back-up the Developer Software; alter the Developer Software (including patching and upgrading the Developer Software, and creating new versions of the Developer Software),] Payment Charges Customer obligations Customer Works
and the Customer [may / must not] sub-license these rights [to [identify permitted sub-licensees] [for [purposes] only]. 10.2 Save to the extent that the Developer has given its express written consent, the
licence granted by the Developer to the Customer under Clause [10.1] is subject to the following limitations: ... 10.3 Except to the extent mandated by applicable law or expressly permitted in this Agreement, the licences granted by the Developer to the Customer under this Clause [10] are subject to the following prohibitions: ... 11. 11.1 Intellectual Property Rights The Third Party Works will be either ([at the option of the Developer / as agreed between the parties acting reasonably]): [(a) (b) ... [11.3 The Developer may include the statement "[insert statement]" [together with a link to the Developer's website] in the Software in a position and in a form to be agreed by the parties. The Customer will retain any such credit and link in any adapted version of the Software, and the Customer will (and will only) remove any such credit and link from the Software at the Developer's request.] ... 12. ... 13. ... 13.3 The Customer acknowledges that: [(a) complex software is never wholly free from defects, errors and bugs, and the Developer gives no warranty or representation that the Software will be wholly free from such defects, errors and bugs;] the Developer has designed the Software to work in the Environment, and the Developer does not warrant or represent that the Software will work in any other hardware or software environment;] the Developer does not warrant or represent that the Software will be compatible with any application, program or software not specifically identified as compatible in Schedule [1]; and] the Developer will not and does not purport to provide any legal, taxation or accountancy advice under this Agreement or in relation to the Software and (except to the extent expressly provided otherwise) the Developer does not warrant or represent that the Software will not give rise to any Warranties Escrow supplied in accordance with the relevant licensor's standard licensing terms and conditions; supplied on licence terms notified by the Developer to the Customer;
[(b)
[(c)
[(d)
civil or criminal legal liability on the part of the Customer or any other person.] ... 14. ... 15. ... 16. ... 17. ... 18. ... General Notices Effects of termination Termination Limitations and exclusions of liability
This is a sample document, containing selected sections from SEQ Legal's template software development agreement (standard version). Ellipses indicate omitted sections. You can purchase a complete software development agreement template from: http://www.website-contracts.co.uk/acatalog/software_development_contracts.html