IP - HoseaCodes/PropFlow-UI GitHub Wiki

5. Intellectual Property Management

1. Which LLC is it under?

  • Recommendation: Register or assign ownership to an existing LLC (e.g., Ambitious Concepts LLC if that's your existing entity).

  • The LLC should:

    • Be the official owner of the SaaS brand, codebase, domain name, and any content.

    • Be listed as the licensor if you offer the product to users under a subscription/license.

Next Step:
File any new trademarks, purchase domains under the LLC’s name, and sign up for tools and vendors using the LLC’s EIN.

2. Is there a License?

  • For Your Product (SaaS):

    • Your users don’t “own” the software — they license access via your Terms of Service.

    • Include a Commercial SaaS License in your Terms, which states:

      • They have a non-transferable, revocable right to use the software

      • They may not reverse-engineer, clone, or redistribute the software

  • For the Codebase:

    • Private/internal code (backend, algorithms, frontend): keep it closed-source.

    • If you ever open source parts (e.g., frontend boilerplate): use permissive licenses like MIT or restrict commercial use with GPL or custom clauses.

Next Step:
Create a LICENSE.md file if you open source any part, and make sure your Terms of Service include clear SaaS usage language.

3. Does any code need to be protected?

Yes. Protect the following:

A. Proprietary Logic

  • Optimization algorithms (e.g., pricing decisions, feedback → suggestion logic)

  • Weekly loop logic or OpenAI prompt tuning

  • User-level data models and scoring logic

Use:

  • Private GitHub repos

  • Access control (use GitHub teams or private branches for contractors)

  • Obfuscation or server-side rendering for any logic that shouldn’t be exposed to users

B. Brand Identity

  • File a trademark for the product name (optional but wise once gaining traction)

  • Protect the logo, UI branding, tagline, etc.

C. API Keys & SaaS Secrets

  • Use .env files, secret managers (e.g., AWS Secrets Manager or Vercel Secrets)

  • Never commit OPENAI_API_KEY, SMTP creds, or DB URIs to Git

Final Checklist

Task Status
Assign IP to your LLC [ ]
Draft clear Terms of Service + Privacy Policy [ ]
Protect proprietary code (Git access, env vars) [ ]
Trademark name and logo (optional at early stage) [ ]
Include license in marketing site + docs [ ]
⚠️ **GitHub.com Fallback** ⚠️