Intellectual Property Due Diligence (this includes information technology I.T.) when you buy a business is critical and often overlooked, along with the Intellectual Property element of Due Diligence.
I.T. and Intellectual Property (IP) Due diligence are closely related and both are often done at the same time. This process can be very technical and often involves complex federal law. If your attorney is not familiar with intellectual property law you might, depending on the value you assign to the intellectual property, want to seek an attorney or Intellectual Property Due Diligence expert who specializes in these somewhat arcane issues.
I.T. & IP due diligence have some common elements and one of the most important is to make certain who actually owns the IP often associated with I.T. value in a business.
Note: To mitigate risk, “involve IT professionals as part of the deal team to help assess a broad overview of the IT landscape of the target firm and identify any substantive issues that may exist early in the deal making process.” John Beauford, director of IT at Doctors in Training.
The law related to ownership of Intellectual Property can be confusing. A common question is, when the business had it’s website developed does the business have written confirmation that the intellectual property (i.e., the website content and design) is owned and is the legal property of the business? Just because an employee did the work it doesn’t necessarily mean the business owns the IP. This is something to think about as a business owner regardless of if you are considering buying or selling a business.
Another area is IP related to Trademarks, Patents and Pending Patents all of these usually require third party confirmation or transfer.
If the IP and I.T. of a business is a significant part of the value of the business you are buying it’s probably a good idea to put in the time to investigate the issues and engage some legal expertise to make sure that you will own or have the rights to the IT/IP after you purchase the business.
Mr. Elliott is Managing Director of Sunbelt Texas Business Sales & Acquisitions with more than 20 years experience in mergers, acquisitions and business broker. Mr. Elliott purchased Sunbelt Houston in 1996 and has managed the sale of over 500 companies from very small businesses to companies with revenue of more than $30,000,000. Mr. Elliot has provided Business Broker and merger and acquisition adviser services to privately held business in Houston, Austin, San Antonio and throughout Texas.
Over a 20 year career, he has handled a wide range of industries including manufacturing, distribution, medical, machining, construction, and contractors. Mr. Elliott has completed transactions with Private Equity Groups, strategic buyers and a wide range of regional companies executed plans to grow through acquisitions.
Mr. Elliott has been recognized as a “Thought Leader” by Sunbelt Business Brokers Global Network. Mr. Elliott is frequently interviewed in various media and is considered an expert in the field of buying and selling privately held businesses.
Mr. Elliott has received the professional designations of Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) and Master Merger & Acquisitions Intermediary (MMAI).