Ukraine has long been a popular “IT hub”, but against the background of a large number of specialists in the field of information technology, there is a shortage of competent lawyers in this field. If you want to start an IT company, register software rights or perform other important actions, you must be prepared to face a shortage of professionals who really understand the “relationship” between the law and the world of software.

 

Lawrange Law Firm is designed to close the gap in the market. Our task is to provide you with comprehensive legal support in the field of IT law. Our IT lawyers know what developers need to thrive on a completely legitimate basis.

 

Who Do We Help?

IT law contains an incredibly large number of types and forms of activity that require specialized knowledge not only in the field of information technology, but also in the field of legislation. Lawrange provides legal services for IT in the following categories:

 

  • startups;
  • iOS / Android application developers;
  • outsourcing companies that work with both domestic and foreign firms;
  • game development studios that value copyright protection;
  • fintech projects;
  • sites;
  • online casinos and gambling organizations looking for a “free haven” to make a profit.

 

Each activity has its own regulation and urgent issues that can be resolved only with the support of an IT lawyer. Despite the prevalence of information technology services in Ukraine, only a small number of specialists are really familiar with the law, and this creates practical problems even at the stage of company registration.

 

In fact, Lawrange provides legal support to all entrepreneurs and firms working in the IT industry. Your activities may be related to software development, analytics or new automated solutions – in any case, the proper opening of a business and its continued operation will require the participation of IT lawyers.

 

Responsibilities of a Tech Lawyer in Information Technology

It is important to understand that an IT firm is primarily a legal entity that performs a wide range of tasks. In the course of the company’s activity there are not only working issues directly related to software development, but also economic, organizational and other problems. The head of a startup must think in two directions at the same time, and not everyone is able to cover all important aspects of the enterprise. It is in this situation that there is a need for competent legal support, which will take over some of the worries.

 

Each industry has its own legislation. Legal services for IT companies are important because:

 

  • telecommunications services require an understanding of consumer protection and antitrust legislation;
  • in the field of software development it is necessary to have a clear understanding of copyright and related rights, as well as the powers arising from the creation of intellectual property (understanding of the rights of the author, customer, employer);
  • when working with foreign customers, currency control and foreign trade agreements are important.

 

IT companies must interact directly with the tax authorities. The advice of a tax lawyer and knowledge of the law will help reduce the burden on business and avoid problems with taxpayers in the future.

 

It is important to understand that the larger the firm, the greater the demand for legal services. Even medium-sized businesses need the support of outsourced legal professionals. This format will save a significant share of the budget that would otherwise be spent on setting up a legal department.

 

Consequences of Refusing Services from Tech Law Firms for IT Companies

Practice shows that technology startups often refuse to comply with or ignore the requirements of the legislator. This careless attitude, it is easy to guess, leads to the following consequences:

 

  • contracts concluded with contractors are not checked in any way, and there can be no question of the advantage of the conditions;
  • the legal burden falls on the shoulders of accountants or managers who are unfamiliar with the specifics of the legal regulation of information technology;
  • companies, in case of violations, do not use the tools of influence provided by the legislator. As a result, violations only thrive.

 

An IT lawyer will be able to detect the dishonesty of contractors or protect your own right to the program. In other words, the startup will start to suffer losses at the beginning, without any compensation.

 

How Our Tech Lawyers Can Assist You

Lawrange Law Firm has been providing legal services to companies working in the field of information technology for many years. IT legal services from our lawyers:

 

  • detailed advice on any legal issues related to information technology;
  • formalization and analysis of agreements with contractors, partners or clients;
  • tax optimization and planning;
  • comprehensive support and protection;
  • choice of international jurisdiction for doing business;
  • registration of companies in the EU, USA, Asia or offshore;
  • opening bank accounts in foreign banks;
  • registration of intellectual property.

 

Thus, an IT lawyer provides a comprehensive package of services that includes everything necessary for the full prosperity of the company, regardless of its organizational and legal form, scale and nature of activities.

 

Legal services in IT: detailed consulting

The IT industry is regulated by a number of legislative acts. Central are the Civil Code of Ukraine and thematic laws. It takes a lot of time to understand the features of software regulation. For startups, this is an irreparable expense. That is why it is so important to consult with IT lawyers who know the specifics of the legal support of the information industry.

 

Drawing up an author’s contract, protection of intellectual property for the program, choosing the optimal taxation system – these are just some of the issues that can be resolved successfully in cooperation with competent legal representatives.

 

Help with contracts

Like any other company, IT companies constantly work with contractors, customers and partners. The basis is contracts that must be concluded in accordance with the letter of the law. However, legality is not the only requirement for agreements. Their usefulness for the participants themselves is also important (this is especially evident in IT). With the support of an IT lawyer from Lawrange, you will be able to:

 

  • approve the right essential conditions that are beneficial to you;
  • correctly distribute the rights and responsibilities in software development;
  • determine the property rights of the created programs;
  • indicate the remuneration and deadlines.

 

However, the most important thing that an IT lawyer from Lawrange can provide is the ability to enter into agreements on international models that are common in the field of information technology.

 

Examples:

 

  1. Fixed Price. Used in standard projects. For the customer, this model provides a transparent budget. The nuance is the difficulty of making changes to the current software development.
  2. Time & Materials. Development is performed based on individual tasks. The final volume is difficult to predict. Payment is made only for the actual development.
  3. Subscription agreements. Used when hiring programmers with a higher degree of trust.
  4. Dedicated Team. Providing IT specialists to a third-party company to implement a specific project.

 

The correct implementation of these business models depends entirely on the legal design of the essential conditions and powers of the parties. With the support of IT lawyers from Lawrange, you get the opportunity to make lucrative deals that do not conflict with other developers.

 

Tax optimization

Choosing a taxation system is one of the fundamentally important decisions at the stage of starting a startup. It is necessary to properly plan the tax burden and choose the right tools so that in the future you will not be in a debt pit with the tax authorities.

 

IT legal support from Lawrange can help:

 

  • choose the optimal taxation system;
  • obtain the required taxpayer status;
  • issue tax benefits.

 

We guarantee full protection against sudden inspections by tax authorities and fines. You minimize your risks from improper tax optimization with our help.

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Comprehensive support and protection

Tax office is not the only agency that will closely monitor the activities of startups and IT companies. There will also be close scrutiny by other supervisory authorities whose responsibilities relate to information security and consumer rights. In case of disputes and violations, another important state body, the court, comes into play. In cooperation with all these structures, not only the truth is important, but also competent legal protection.

 

A representative of the Lawrange Law Firm will help:

 

  • prepare documents for trial;
  • protect your interests in supervisory bodies;
  • to appeal against the decisions of state structures.

 

With the support of a competent representative, you will be protected in the field of law. No violator or oversight body will be able to influence your profits and growth. For startups, the presence of a professional defender is a guarantee of victory in the courts and successful representation of interests in government agencies.

 

Legal services for IT companies during searches, inspections and criminal

In case of suspicion of committing a crime by employees or management, your company will be under the supervision of government agencies. Criminal prosecution involves investigative actions, which often involve abuse of rights by officials.

 

Examples:

 

  • obtaining confidential information or unjustified seizure of equipment during searches;
  • unannounced inspections and unfair fines;
  • interrogations and pressure on employees and managers.

 

Regardless of the degree of guilt, every business needs the protection of professional lawyers. An IT lawyer from Lawrange will protect your interests during criminal prosecutions and investigations. We will achieve justice and prevent the abuse of rights by officials.

 

Registration of IT companies abroad

The issue of starting a business in IT deserves special attention. Ukraine is not the only popular “hub”. The following jurisdictions are equally necessary:

 

  • USA;
  • European Union;
  • offshore;
  • Asian countries.

 

In order to register a business in these jurisdictions, it is not enough to accumulate the required amount and hire an accountant. Each country has its own legal requirements for IT companies. This is especially true for online casinos and gambling organizations, which require special offshore conditions.

 

With the support of an IT lawyer from Lawrange, you get a ready-made decision to register a business abroad. We will help:

 

  • prepare the necessary documents for registration;
  • rent a legal address;
  • select specialists;
  • get a unique name;
  • choose the optimal taxation system;
  • register intellectual property.

 

You can register a company in the United Kingdom or modern offshore jurisdictions such as Cyprus. In any case, you will need experts in foreign law. And the Lawrange team is ready to provide you with a reliable business design anywhere in the world.

 

Opening foreign bank accounts

In parallel with the registration of the company abroad, it is important to resolve the banking details issue. The need to open an account in a foreign bank may arise for Ukrainian IT companies, which prefer to keep funds in reputable structures. Every popular foreign bank has its own requirements for customers. The Lawrange team regularly helps entrepreneurs and startups to set up an account at the right institution abroad. Our service is carried out on time and without unnecessary documents.

 

Intellectual property registration

Among all types of legal services for IT companies, which are in demand from companies and startups, there is a separate registration of intellectual property. The program is the result of creative work and is subject to state protection. For full protection you need to confirm your copyright or apply for a patent (in the case of production software). Together with an IT lawyer from Lawrange you will be able to:

 

  • prepare the necessary documents for the registration of intellectual property;
  • confirm your copyright to the program;
  • protect your software from competitors and attackers;
  • correctly enter into a license agreement.

 

It is worth noting that the programs themselves may consist of other subroutines (for example, you have developed a comprehensive library that includes separate and full-fledged tools, or created a game in which each character can be the subject of copyright). In this case, it is important to register the intellectual property for each subroutine so that in the future competitors will not be tempted to use your experience.

 

The program code will be entered into a special repository after the registration of intellectual property, and the applicant will receive a certificate, which will be documentary evidence in case of conflicts and violations.

 

Based on the issued patent or copyright certificate, you will be able to effectively recover damages from infringers, prohibit competitors from using software code and enter into profitable agreements with partners who prefer to work only with developers who care about the security of their code.

 

Legal Challenges in the Tech Industry

Based on the experience of many tech law firms, the causes of legal problems in the IT sector can be divided into eight categories:

 

1. Intellectual Property

Intellectual property issues account for the bulk of e-commerce lawsuits. For example, a third party’s code was used in software development without their knowledge.

 

There are also frequent problems arising from the registration of certain domain names when they are claimed by owners of different trademarks.

 

2. Data privacy

Many lawyers believe that in the next few years, IT companies can expect a rapid increase in the number of lawsuits involving privacy issues. The main reason is the increased attention to this issue from lawmakers.

 

3. Network security

When unexpected security failures result in the loss of profits and trade secrets, or when identity theft is discovered, then IT has to respond.

 

IT’s interaction with lawyers will help ensure security when dealing with co-employees and partners.

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4. Problems in the workplace

These usually arise due to data leakage during the workflow. For example, when personal or corporate email is used to forward any important documents.

 

5. Customer dishonesty

Such issues are related to situations where the customer refuses to pay for the work properly done by the contractor.

 

6. Misunderstanding between the customer and the contractor

 

There are often cases when the customer and the contractor have different ideas about the result of the work. The result obtained corresponds to the way the task was understood by the contractor, but does not correspond to what the customer wanted it to be.

 

7. Violations of property rights of an IT-company employee

This occurs when an IT company has not concluded a contract with its employee. Because of this, it now has no rights to the created software product or any other intellectual property object.

 

The employee still has the legal right, for example, to demand compensation from the IT company for the use of such an object.

 

8. Unique aspects of e-commerce

From time to time, technology law firms have fundamentally new legal problems. For example, online consultations, when a visitor provides quite detailed information about himself, and in response receives a set of recommendations on how to behave in a particular situation.

 

Recent Changes in IT Legislation

There are two important laws that were adopted in the European Union in 2022:

 

  1. About Digital Markets Act (Digital Markets Act, DMA).
  2. The Digital Services Act (DSA).

 

These laws are concerned with supporting competition in the IT market, as well as protecting the rights of users and the security of their data.

 

1. Limiting the power of monopolists

The main requirement of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) is to ensure a healthy competitive space where previously there was one or a few companies. The laws limit the power of monopolists by requiring them to operate in a way that users can access their competitors.

 

2. Combating misleading information

Social platforms that are subject to DSA and DMA laws must also make changes in their work. First and foremost, this applies to combating propaganda and manipulation. Companies must promptly remove ambiguous or inaccurate content and implement the ability to complain about it.

 

3. Understanding moderation and the ability to appeal moderator actions

These laws require that users be provided with information about content moderation. This means that every user whose content is removed must understand exactly what rules they have broken.

 

An additional step is the creation of a DSA (Transparency Databas) database that will collect all cases that concern content moderation.

 

4. Protecting children from online services

The DSA has fixed the prohibition of adverts targeting children and adolescents and strengthened child protection measures.

 

5. Transparency of recommendation algorithms.

The law requires transparency of algorithms. Users also need the ability to opt-out of recommendations on social networks.

 

6. Impact on the future

Everyone is well aware that the new laws will impact not only EU users. They will affect everyone, not just the largest market players. These norms will apply to all online resources that operate in the EU.

 

If they are successfully implemented by DSA and DMA, they may become an excellent example of fighting monopolists and protecting end-users on the Internet.

 

Also in March 2024, the European Parliament adopted the Law on Artificial Intelligence. It aims to protect the fundamental rights of mankind from high-risk artificial intelligence (AI). In doing so, the law incentivizes innovation and establishes obligations for AI.

 

Citizens will now have the right to lodge complaints about AI systems and also get clarification on them.

 

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The main principles of the AI Law:

 

  1. Safeguards regarding general-purpose artificial intelligence.
  2. Restrictions regarding biometric identification of individuals.
  3. Introduction of a prohibition on the use of AI to manipulate or exploit user vulnerabilities.
  4. The right of consumers to file complaints and receive meaningful explanations.

 

The law prohibits:

 

  1. Extracting facial images from the internet or surveillance footage of an inappropriate nature.
  2. Use of certain AI applications that threaten citizens’ rights.
  3. Recognizing faces and human emotions in the workplace and schools.
  4. Manipulation of human behavior or exploitation of human vulnerability.

 

Only law enforcement agencies can be an exception. The law also provides for certain transparency requirements as well as obligations for high-risk AI systems.

 

Stimulating innovation is the need to create regulatory sandboxes for real-world testing.

 

It is required that EU member states establish their own notification bodies to test AI systems against the standards set out in the Act. The AI Act is expected to be finally implemented in 2026, except for those provisions that impose a ban. These provisions should be in full force and effect as early as the second half of 2024.

 

Experience in Software and Technology Law

Every technology law firm should have high caliber professionals on its staff.

 

They should be knowledgeable in the field of law and understand the basic principles of creating:

 

  • intellectual property;
  • information law;
  • corporate law;
  • ecommerce/electronic platforms law;
  • advertising;
  • personal data.

 

Tech law firm specialists should have knowledge of:

 

  • basics of information security;
  • programming basics;
  • principles of computer equipment operation;
  • principles of computer networks;
  • specifics of software development;
  • specifics of software implementation and operation.

 

It is also important to possess the conceptual apparatus in the field of IT.

 

Tech lawyers are required to possess the following skills:

 

  1. Use of information bases and legal services.
  2. Understanding of the principles of digital evidence collection.
  3. Registration of rights to AI results (patents, copyrights, trademarks).
  4. Preparing responses to queries from software users, customers, partners and other stakeholders.
  5. Analyzing and assessing legal risks in the digital sphere.
  6. Systematization of large volumes of information.
  7. Negotiating technology-related contracts.
  8. Participating in internal incident investigations.
  9. Support of business processes: development of various protocols, participation in negotiations.
  10. Claims and litigation work: preparation of letters and claims, support of cases in court, as well as resolution of intro-collective disputes.

 

Technology lawyers of Lawrange are high-class professionals with many years of experience.

 

We start any of our work with a thorough analysis of the problem, after which we select the best options for its solution. When the situation is analyzed, we offer the client a concrete plan of action to achieve the desired result.

 

Pricing for IT Legal Services from Lawrange’s Tech Lawyer

 

The price of services from Lawrange Law Firm depends entirely on the following factors:

 

  • the needs of the startup or developer;
  • the need to register intellectual property;
  • the need to register a company abroad;
  • availability of agreements with other developers.

 

The final cost is formed during the discussion of the service agreement. We guarantee a flexible price tag that is available not only to experienced development teams, but also to start-ups.

 

When you contact Lawrange, you receive a free consultation and analysis of your situation. For preliminary recommendations, leave a request on the site and we will contact you soon.

 

Why Сhoose Lawrange as Your Technology Law Firm

Lawrange is an example of a law firm that has been working in the field of legal support of IT business for many years. We are approached by both experienced developers and startups, due to the following benefits:

 

  1. Professionalism. We are an experienced team of lawyers and consultants who work closely with the legal regulation of information technology;
  2. Free consultation. When you contact us, you receive a detailed analysis of your situation with recommendations for solving current problems.
  3. Individual approach. Every startup or developer has their own needs and urgent problems that need to be addressed quickly. There is no universal pill – we will select the right tool and model of cooperation depending on your requests.
  4. Cooperation with foreign jurisdictions. You can start your IT business abroad in any modern country with loyal legislation to develop programs or online entertainment.
  5. Round-the-clock work. By contacting us, you will receive support 24 hours a day.

 

We represent the interests of IT business not only in Ukrainian government agencies, but also in international structures. In the event of a dispute with a foreign outsourcing firm or in the event of a conflict of authorship with other developers, an IT lawyer is guaranteed to protect your profits and intellectual property.

 

If you want to open a profitable startup or want to update the internal legal regulation of your own IT company, contact Lawrange Law Firm. We will select a comprehensive solution to your problems in a short time.

 

FAQ

Who are technology lawyers?

Technology lawyer specializing in technology related legal matters:

 

  • intellectual property;
  • internet law;
  • software licensing;
  • technology contracts.

 

Tech lawyers also provide advice and assistance to companies and individuals involved in the creation, use, and transfer of technology.

 

Why should you consider hiring a technology lawyer?

A tech lawyer has extensive legal knowledge focused on information technology.

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The lawyer deals with:

 

  • registering and protecting intellectual property (patents, copyrights, and trademarks);
  • Organizing company operations in various jurisdictions;
  • creating legal document constructors and corporate information directories.

 

Tech lawyer can help:

 

  • protect your intellectual property;
  • advise on other legal issues related to your technology business;
  • navigate the complex legal aspects of the technology industry.

 

What advantages does professional support from a technology lawyer provide?

Advantages include guaranteed legal compliance and the security required to protect client data and address the risks of vulnerability of that data. It also includes reliable protection of important client documents.

 

 

 

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