Intellectual Property Assignment Agreement
Intellectual Property Assignment — Getting the IP Into the Company
If a founder, contractor or agency created it, the company may not own it. An assignment puts that beyond doubt.
- Advocates & Solicitors
- Offices in Kuala Lumpur & Johor Bahru
- Confidential, no obligation
Real lawyers, one team behind every matter
Who this is for
Sound familiar?
Startups whose product was built by contractors or pre-incorporation founders
Companies commissioning software, design, content or branding
Businesses preparing for investment or sale
Employers wanting certainty over work created by staff
Companies acquiring IP from a third party
What's at stake
What is really at stake
- 01A company's most valuable asset is often something it does not legally own.The product was built by a contractor. The brand was designed by an agency. The early code was written by a founder before incorporation.
- 02Everyone assumes ownership passed with payment.In many cases it did not — creators can retain rights absent a written assignment.
- 03This surfaces during diligence, or when the contractor reuses the work for a competitor, or when a departing founder claims what they built.By then the leverage sits entirely with them.
In plain words
Intellectual Property Assignment Agreement
Assignment documentation transferring intellectual property into the company — from founders, employees, contractors, agencies and third parties — covering existing and future works, moral rights where relevant, warranties of originality, and the practical steps to record the transfer.
What good looks like
Imagine a company that owns everything it uses. Diligence confirms it in a morning. Contractors deliver work that belongs to you on delivery. The asset you built is an asset you can sell.
What you get
What we deliver
Scope and fee are agreed in writing before any work starts, so you know exactly what you are getting.
- 01
IP audit identifying what the business uses and who owns it
- 02
Assignment agreements for founders, contractors and agencies
- 03
Moral rights and originality warranties addressed
- 04
Assignment clauses built into future engagement templates
- 05
Advice on recording transfers of registrable rights
How we work
Clear from the first conversation
- 1
Send a short request
Tell us what the matter is about. It takes under a minute and stays confidential.
- 2
Akmal sets a time with you
We reply within 30 minutes in office hours to arrange your consultation, online or at our KL or JB office.
- 3
Advice, then a written proposal
You get a clear view of the issues and options, then a written scope and fee proposal.
- 4
Work begins on the agreed scope
Akmal leads the matter with a team of our lawyers, working to the scope you approved. You get regular updates at every key step.
Who leads your matter
Led by Akmal Saufi, supported by our team
Akmal leads your matter as Partner. Depending on the work, other lawyers in our team handle parts of it day to day, with Akmal overseeing the matter.
Akmal Saufi
Partner, Messrs Akmal Saufi & Co
- Advocate & Solicitor, Malaysia
- Over 13 years in transactional work: M&A, joint ventures, land and infrastructure
- LLB (Hons), International Islamic University Malaysia
The team behind your matter
Meet the team →Who we have acted for
Organisations we have acted for
Federal government agencies & statutory bodies
Johor state bodies & local authorities
Government-linked companies
Private sector & NGOs
Shown with permission. Government agencies, statutory bodies and government-linked companies are identified as such. Their inclusion does not imply endorsement by any government, ministry or agency.
Next step
Request a consultation with Akmal
- 1Send a short request. It takes under a minute.
- 2Akmal reviews it and arranges a time with you.
- 3You get clear advice, then a written scope and fee proposal.
We reply within 30 minutes · Mon–Fri, 8:30am–5:30pm
Your details stay confidential. Sending a request does not mean you have appointed us.
- Licensed advocates & solicitors
- Professional indemnity insured
- Offices in KL & JB
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Still unsure? Send a short request and Akmal will tell you plainly whether and how we can help.
We paid for the work. Do we not own it?
What about work created by employees?
Can future work be assigned in advance?
What are moral rights?
Our developer has disappeared. What now?
What is Legal That Works?
What if I’m not sure what legal service I need?
Who will be helping me?
Before you sign
The cost of waiting
Assignments are cheap while the relationship is good. Once the contractor has left or the founder has fallen out, they become a negotiation.
We reply within 30 minutes · Mon–Fri, 8:30am–5:30pm
