Code, design, text, photographs and branding have different legal treatment and origins. Clients need to know what they receive, how they may change it and which third-party terms remain. Link legal review to actual product contents and participants’ documents.
Inventory assets and contributors
Separate custom work, client-supplied material, licensed components and external services. Identify sources and documents for each. An invoice or source folder alone should not determine the full rights analysis.
For example, a site may combine custom design, a purchased font and third-party photographs. Rights to one element do not establish rights to the others. The inventory supports review without assuming one contractor created everything.
Agree intended use of deliverables
Discuss code modification, replacement contractors, distribution, reuse and material delivery. Counsel checks the rights model and transfer timing against law and contract. Technical handover should match those agreements.
Hosting access does not replace necessary source material, and receiving files does not explain every licence restriction. Agree documentation, accounts and future maintenance capability.
Review third-party components and branding
Retain origins and relevant licence terms for libraries, themes, icons, fonts and media. Open source still has conditions. Permission for one site or use should not automatically extend to another product.
Names, logos and domains need separate review. Domain registration does not universally establish trademark rights. Assess searches, classes and protection procedures for the business and jurisdiction.
Retain evidence and manage changes
At handover, reconcile files, component inventories and agreed documents. Place access under company control. Keep important evidence available to owners and protected against accidental loss.
Update the inventory for new content, libraries or contractors. Disputes require creation and use evidence rather than general ownership claims. This supports maintenance with understood rights and restrictions.
Sources and further reading
