Sample Product Design Contract Anywhere?

July 29, 2009 11:49 AM

Am looking for a sample product design contract. Know where there is a (hopefully free) one i can take apart and re-write before taking to a lawyer?

starting a design collective and first project involves design and development of a business plan and some sketches of a product idea through to manufacture. i'd like both parties to be covered by and agreement / contract. there's lots of web design and graphic design agreements. whats in a product design one that the other two might miss?

posted by gonzo_ID to law & government (5 comments total)

I would say save yourself the time and money and just get a qualified laywer to draft it for you. For someone to take one you've done yourself, thoroughly review it, and make necessary changes will probably cost as much as just letting them use a precedent. There's nothing worse than trying to make sense of some contract someone has downloaded from the internet, from who knows what jurisdiction.
posted by Pomo at 12:00 PM on July 29

I can't even tell you how often I litigate cases where a non-lawyer took a contract apart and re-wrote it and then ended up spending massive amounts of money on attorneys' fees after the fact because of the mess it caused. Spend a little on a lawyer now or spend a lot on a lawyer later. Which would you prefer?
posted by The World Famous at 12:13 PM on July 29

Agreed. Talk to a lawyer to draft up the contract. Like The World Famous, I've litigated enough cases where people cobble together crappy contracts from the internet, and I shake my head every single time. You have to know the legal risks involved in order to protect everybody.

Outside of product-design specific contracts, you should look into patent agreements, confidentiality agreements and non-compete agreements. There used to be a website that reprinted a number of big-corporation contracts, which might include ones that you need to review prior to seeking a lawyer, but I can't find it offhand.
posted by jabberjaw at 1:45 PM on July 29

ugh. that was the answer i was expecting. i'm only one person trying to bootstrap a freelance contract. arses. how am i supposed to afford a lawyer?
posted by gonzo_ID at 2:32 PM on July 29

Well, you could leave it to the other party to draft, but then they're going to include terms favourable to themselves and you're left wondering whether to demand changes or sign as-is. But it's certainly cheaper...now.
posted by Pomo at 4:31 PM on July 31