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Since 1976, we have enabled thousands of digital creators, businesses and investors secure their innovations by providing solutions to protect their intellectual property, ensure the continuity of their business activity, and mitigate cyber and software risks.

Discover and create your account on Vaultinum's platform, a trusted third party specialising in software protection and auditing. Deposit, Software Escrow and Tech Due Diligence Solutions

FAQ | Getting started | Vaultinum

To create an account, go to www.vaultinum.com and click sign in in the top right hand side of the website. You can also access directly by clicking on login. Then simply follow the steps outlined.

How do I create an account with Vaultinum?

Vaultinum is a collaborative platform, allowing the account holder to invite other people to join. This may be required when running an online assessment for example, as some questions require different functions to respond (CTO, head of legal etc).

Can I give access to my colleagues or stakeholders? 

At Vaultinum, we have been hosting and protecting source codes for over 40 years. Preserving the secrecy and confidentiality of our client's assets has always been our highest priority. We are ISO 27001 certified and our servers are all located in Europe. Each and every source code and asset we recieve on our platform is immediately encrypted using the SHA256 algorithm for a maximum security.

Is it safe to upload my source code onto the Vaultinum Platform?

Protect your business continuity and access the software source code in case of supplier bankruptcy or service failure

FAQ | Online Software Escrow | Vaultinum

A software escrow agreement is a contract between a software vendor, its client and a third party escrow agent, allowing the client to access the software source code under some specific conditions, such as the vendor's bankruptcy or inability to maintain the software. These conditions are called release conditions and are negotiated by the parties in the contract. Once the contract is signed, the software vendor makes a deposit of its source code with the Escrow agent. The escrow agent will only release the source code to the client if one of the agreed release conditions occur.  A software escrow contract brings reassurance and peace of mind to the client by ensuring the continuity of their business critical software.

Depending on the type of software, here is the list of the elements that Vaultinum usually recommends to escrow.

For ON PREMISE software: Source code, Object code, Executable code, technical documentation used to design and produce the software, tools needed to develop, compile and/or deploy the software.

For SAAS : Access codes to the platform,  Deployment procedure (written documentation, Infrastructure as Code or AMI machine package), Documentation (user, technical or deployment guides, contracts with cloud or managed service providers), Database if dedicated to a single customer or Database common to several customers if a split by customer is possible.

What should be included in a software escrow?

Like for any contract, there is usually a negotiation period before the parties agree on the terms of the contract and sign it. There is no exception for a software escrow agreement. Therefore the time it takes to sign a software escrow agreement can vary from a few days to a couple of months, depending on how easily both parties will agree on the terms of the contract.

How long does it take to sign a software escrow?

If one of the agreed release conditions occur, then the beneficiary is entitled to ask Vaultinum to release the source code to them. However, at Vaultinum we have a very strict access procedure which involves several verification steps. First, the beneficiary needs to notify Vaultinum and submit the software escrow agreement along with a valid licence between them and the supplier and evidence that the release condition has been met. Then an access commission will review the documents provided and decide whether they are sufficient to grant access within the framework of the software escrow.

What happens when the release conditions agreed in an escrow agreement occur?

The short answer is -it depends. In some cases, the software vendor supports the cost of the software escrow, in some others it will be the responsibility of the client and sometimes the fees may even be shared between the software vendor and the beneficiary. It all depends on what has been negotiated between both parties and the type of software escrow required. If there is a request from the beneficiary for a verified or a controlled escrow, the extra cost will most likely be supported by the beneficiary.

Protect your software copyright with an IP deposit on Vaultinum's secure platform. ISO27001 certified

FAQ | IP deposit | Vaultinum

A source code deposit is a process which allows the owner of a software, a source code, or any other digital asset to protect the intellectual property of the asset. Once the source code has been deposited on the Vaultinum Platform, we deliver a certificate of deposit, with a time stamp, that can be used in all the courts which have signed the berne Convention in case of copyright infringement.

Software and source codes are protected by copyright. This means that from the moment that the source code comes into existence the intellectual property rights of this source code belong to its author. However it is usually good practice to associate the source code with an irrefutable date of creation, in order to provide proof in case of copyright infringement. The best way to provide this proof is to make a deposit with a certified third party, that will provide a certificate and a timestamp for this deposit.

How can I protect my software's source code copyright?

Vaultinum specialises in the protection of digital assets. It is therefore possible to make a deposit for any kind of digital creation that need a digital proof : source code, databases, website, mobile apps, 3D creations and plans, lab books, processes, methods, technical documentation etc. The assets must be in a digital format as vaultinum does not accept physical deposits.

What elements can be deposited and protected by Vaultinum?

Once uploaded on the Vaultinum Servers, the source code is immediately sealed, encrypted using asymmetric encryption, and archived on the Vaultinum servers, hosted in Switzerland.

Where is my source code stored after a deposit?

Yes, a Vaultinum IP deposit certificate will be recognised as a proof of time by all 181 courts which have signed the Berne Convention. The Berne Convention, created in 1886 establishes how "works of the mind" and the rights of their authors should be protected. Any production in the literary, scientific, and artistic domains, including software source codes, is thus protected under the Berne Convention.

Is a deposit at Vaultinum recognised as a proof in all countries?

Run an in-depth analysis of your software and IT environment with Vaultinum. Online secure platform. Full source code scan.

FAQ | Tech due diligence | Vaultinum

Tech due diligence is a process that allows and investor or a software developer/owner to audit their technology in order to identify risks and vulnerabilities. 

Our source code scanner reads each line of the source code uploaded on the Vaultinum platform and identifies risks in the the following areas: risks related to intellectual property and usage of open source software, risks linked to cybersecurity and risks linked to quality, manitenance and scalability of the software.

What types of vulnerabilities can the code scan identify?

Vaultinum's full tech due diligence solution proposes a unique combination of online assessment questionnaires, a source code scan and contextualised feedback from an IT expert, with the whole process taking about 3 weeks.

How long does a full tech due diligence take?

Vaultinum's tech audits are very flexible and will adapt to your needs and budget. If you want an in depth understanding of the quality of the technology you have developed or are thinking of purchasing, then we recommend the full tech due diligence version. However you can also opt for some specific audits, focusing only on IP, cybersecurity and scalability, or even go for the stabd aline online assessment mode. For a quote, please contact our team.

Do I have to take the full tech due diligence or is there a lighter option?

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FAQ

Getting Started

How do I create an account with Vaultinum?

Can I give access to my colleagues or stakeholders?

Is it safe to upload my source code onto the Vaultinum Platform?