Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Anyone have experience with the legal nuts and bolts of protecting the participants` interest in a non-profit group project going commercial?

I pitched a software development proposal to an association as an idea for a S.I.G. (Special Interest Group). Their response is encouraging. That the software package will ever amount to anything commercial is doubtful. But if it does, I suspect all sorts of legal complications can arise if not addressed early on. However, I don`t want to introduce ownership distractions so early that it would squelch participation and enthusiasm.

Thoughts?

Don`t worry, it will come up when you get the group to really start the project because someone would need to make the installer and a license agreement will have to be attached.

Most likely, the participants will want it to be open sourced and probably GPL license.

If you want it to be commercial, don`t involve unpaid outside help. If you want free outside help, don`t expect it to be commercial.