Articles
In this section of Vaultinum’s blog dedicated to Intellectual Property, you will find articles addressing key issues such as copyright, patents, open-source licensing and the management of intangible assets. It offers insights into IP valuation, dispute prevention and the protection of innovations, helping companies and investors safeguard and maximise their technology assets.
Key takeaways The AGPL license extends traditional GPL obligations to software delivered over networks, requiring modified source code to be shared when software is provided as a SaaS service. AGPL is less widely adopted than licenses such as MIT,...
Key takeaways The Paris Court of Appeal ordered Orange to pay €800,000 for violating the GNU GPL V2 license, highlighting the legal risks of non-compliance with open-source licenses. Orange integrated the Lasso software into its IDMP platform...
Key takeaways Open source software is widely adopted, with 97% of applications and 90% of companies using it, offering benefits such as cost savings, flexibility, and continuous improvement. OSS integration introduces challenges including security...
Key takeaways Intellectual property rights, mainly copyright and patents, are central to protecting software and have strategic implications for business growth, scalability, and investor attractiveness. Copyright protects the expression of...
Key takeaways Originality is a fundamental requirement for software copyright protection, safeguarding the creator’s intellectual effort, creativity, and investment. Software originality extends beyond source code to include architecture,...
Key takeaways AI-generated code is derived from existing sources and may be subject to restrictive licences, creating risks of copyright infringement if reused improperly. Developers lack visibility on the legal status and licensing of code...
Key takeaways Software is automatically protected by copyright from the moment it is created, covering elements such as source code, user interfaces, documentation, multimedia content, and titles. Depositing software with a trusted third party or...
Key points to remember The source code of a program is protected by copyright, just like any creative work. The person or company who writes the code owns the rights to it, but only if there’s no special agreement saying otherwise. To avoid any...
Key takeaways AI raises complex intellectual property issues, particularly regarding ownership of content generated from existing data sources. AI systems can unintentionally infringe IP rights if trained on protected materials and reproduce...
Key takeaways Software copyright protects the source code of a program and grants exclusive rights over its use, distribution and modification. Software license compliance is essential to avoid copyright infringement risks when using or integrating...
Key takeaways Source code analysis is a critical component of Technology Due Diligence, providing direct insight into software quality, security, scalability, and maintainability. Comprehensive source code scanning helps identify technical debt,...
Key takeaways Open-source software can expose organisations to security vulnerabilities and unpatched flaws. Abandoned projects and insider threats increase cybersecurity risks in open-source ecosystems. Open-source licenses create legal and...
By conducting a Software IP Audit, you will be able to assess how well you’re doing and if your IP risks are under control. Whether you’re a company looking to self-audit or whether you’re an investor looking into an M&A opportunity, diving...
Key takeaways A software IP audit evaluates software assets to identify intellectual property risks, ensure ownership rights are protected, and verify compliance with licensing obligations. Reviewing source code, third-party libraries, and...
Key takeaways Blockchain technology alone cannot reliably prove intellectual property ownership because it cannot independently verify the identity of the person recording the asset on the blockchain. Trusted third parties provide stronger legal...
Key takeaways The GPL is a copyleft license that requires distributed modifications and derivative works of GPL-licensed software to remain under the GPL, preserving software freedom. The GPL Classpath Exception allows GPL-licensed libraries to be...
Key takeaways Intangible assets such as copyrights, patents, trademarks, databases and know-how now represent a major share of company value, especially in digital and technology-driven businesses. Protecting intangible assets is challenging...
Key takeaways Intellectual property audits help organizations identify, protect, manage, and maximize the value of intangible assets such as patents, software, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. Protecting software IP requires understanding...
Key takeaways Technology IP management requires organisations to understand ownership rights, protection mechanisms and the legal implications linked to the technologies they develop or use. Poor management of technology IP can lead to legal...
Key takeaways Investors often overlook software risks during due diligence, despite software being a primary asset in tech investments, leading to incomplete risk assessments. Open source software is widely used and beneficial for development...
Key takeaways Software source code has been protected by copyright since 1979 as an original work of authorship and benefits from automatic protection once created in a tangible form. Software copyright grants exclusive rights to reproduce,...
Key takeaways The sui generis database right protects database producers who can demonstrate substantial financial, material, or human investment in the constitution, verification, or presentation of database content. A company may qualify as a...
Key takeaways Registering a logo strengthens legal protection and secures exclusive trademark rights over a company’s visual identity. Trademark registration turns a logo into an intangible asset that can support licensing, valuation and M&A...