1. Overview & Scope
This Intellectual Property Policy outlines the rights, responsibilities, and protections governing all creative, technical, and strategic work produced by or for That Is A Q ("the Company"). It applies to all clients, contractors, partners, and internal teams involved in project development, design, engineering, and strategic consulting.
Our goal is to ensure clarity regarding IP ownership, maintain compliance with applicable laws, and foster an environment where innovation can thrive without legal ambiguity.
2. Ownership of Work Product
Upon full payment of all invoiced amounts, all custom work product specifically created for a client under an active engagement shall be considered "work made for hire" under applicable copyright law. Where "work for hire" does not apply by statutory definition, That Is A Q hereby assigns all right, title, and interest in such work product to the client.
This includes, but is not limited to:
- Custom software code, architecture, and configurations
- Original graphic designs, UI/UX layouts, and motion assets
- Strategic documentation, research findings, and campaign materials
- Copywriting, branding assets, and marketing collateral
Assignment is contingent upon complete fulfillment of payment terms. Until such time, That Is A Q retains a security interest in the deliverables.
3. Client Intellectual Property
Clients retain exclusive ownership of any intellectual property provided to That Is A Q for the purpose of an engagement. This includes proprietary data, existing codebases, trademarks, logos, brand guidelines, and domain names.
That Is A Q is granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use such materials solely for the execution of the agreed-upon project scope. Upon project completion or termination, all client IP will be returned or securely destroyed per the client's written instructions, except where retention is required by backup policies or legal compliance.
4. Our Pre-Existing IP
That Is A Q retains full ownership of all pre-existing intellectual property, including proprietary development frameworks, internal tooling, design systems, code libraries, methodologies, and automation scripts created independently of any client engagement.
Clients are granted a perpetual, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use such pre-existing IP solely as embedded within or necessary for the operation of the final delivered product. Redistribution, reverse engineering, or resale of Q's pre-existing IP components is strictly prohibited without explicit written consent.
5. Open Source & Third-Party Components
Projects may incorporate open-source software (OSS), third-party APIs, fonts, stock assets, or SaaS integrations. All such components are subject to their respective licensing terms.
- Permissive Licenses (MIT, Apache 2.0, BSD): Generally safe for commercial use. Attribution requirements, if any, will be documented.
- Copyleft Licenses (GPL, AGPL): Used only with explicit client approval. May impose viral licensing obligations on derivative works.
- Commercial/Subscription Assets: Usage rights are bound by the vendor's EULA. That Is A Q does not grant transferable licenses for paid third-party assets unless explicitly stated in the SOW.
A complete Bill of Materials (SBOM) and third-party license inventory will be provided upon request for enterprise engagements.
6. Confidentiality & Trade Secrets
That Is A Q treats all non-public information shared by clients as strictly confidential. Our security protocols align with industry standards (SOC 2 Type II principles, ISO 27001 guidelines) and include encrypted data transmission, role-based access control, and regular security audits.
Confidentiality obligations survive project termination for a period of five (5) years, or indefinitely for information classified as a trade secret. Unauthorized disclosure, reproduction, or use of confidential information will result in immediate contractual termination and may expose the offending party to legal remedies.
7. Licensing & Usage Rights
Deliverables are licensed for internal business use, commercial deployment, and marketing purposes. Clients may modify, adapt, and redistribute the final product according to their operational needs, subject to the following restrictions:
- Resale or licensing of deliverables as a standalone product or SaaS offering requires a separate commercial agreement.
- Rebranding or repackaging Q's proprietary frameworks for third-party sale is prohibited.
- Portfolio rights: That Is A Q reserves the right to showcase work in case studies, marketing materials, and award submissions, unless a strict embargo is signed in advance.
8. Infringement & Dispute Resolution
That Is A Q warrants that all custom deliverables are original works and do not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of any third party. If a claim of infringement is raised, we will:
- Notify the client promptly
- At our discretion, secure a license, modify the infringing material, or provide a credit for affected services
- Cooperate in good faith to resolve the matter with minimal disruption
Clients indemnify That Is A Q against claims arising from IP materials provided by the client, or from modifications made post-delivery. Disputes will be resolved through mediation in the jurisdiction specified in the governing MSA, with arbitration as a fallback if necessary.
9. Contact & Inquiries
For questions regarding this policy, IP licensing requests, infringement reports, or legal clarifications, please contact our compliance team.
This policy is subject to periodic review. All updates will be published on this page with a revised effective date.