Do You Actually Own Your Code? (What Most Founders Don’t Check)

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Here's a question that's destroyed more business relationships than any other. Do you actually own your code? Most founders assume they do. They paid for it after all, but assumptions get expensive when lawyers get involved.

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I've seen this nightmare play out too many times. A company fires their agency for poor performance. The agency refuses to hand over the code. We own the IP, they claim, and buried somewhere in a contract nobody read properly. There is a clause that proves them right. Or worse, the agency built on their own proprietary framework. Sure, you own the code, but it only runs on infrastructure

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they control. Good luck finding someone else who can work with it. So, here is what you need to confirm before signing anything. First, the contract should explicitly state that you own all intellectual property created for you, not license to use, own. Second, you should have access to all code repositories from day one, not upon request, continuous access. Third, the

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code should be built on open standard technologies. If they're using proprietary frameworks, ask why. Sometimes there is a good reason. Usually there isn't. Fourth, documentation should be included. Code without documentation is a puzzle without a picture. Technically yours, but practically useless. Ownership isn't just legal, it's practical. Can you actually take your code and walk away?

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If not, you're a tenant, not an owner.