We understand the value to businesses of their data. High quality datasets are increasingly important in consumer and research applications, and often entail considerable investment.

The development of a database will generally involve a bundle of IP rights, each of which may have different owners. There may be different legal rights in:

• The structure of the database
• The set of records the database contains
• The software used to make the database accessible
• The information contained within the records

Expert advice is essential to ensure that the appropriate contractual arrangements are put in place to safeguard the database.

Databases can be extremely valuable assets, and there are a range of ways in which to make a return on your investment. For example:

• Licensing or selling the entire database to another business
• Selling ad-hoc access to individual records to cater for needs as they arise.

Before licensing or selling a database check your intellectual property rights with a view to rectifying any defects.

Also, if your database contains personal information, you will also need to check that the appropriate consents have been obtained from any individuals regarding use of their data.