My First Production Application

[Don Garry]

I've just finished producing my first access database for a small company.
The system works extremely well and the customer is really pleased with the
product.

I've secured it a much as I know how to by making an MDE and building some
functions that will cause the database to expire if the customer decides not
to pay his bills in the future.

Now that I'm this far....I've got some questions that I'm not really sure
where to get the answers to so thought I would post and see what others who
have been here before would suggest.

Here are my questions so far.......
1) What is the best way of protecting the work that I've created ? (Should I
consider copyright which I really don't know anything about ?)
2) I viewed the previous system that the customer was using and took some
ideas from their model and put them into my application. Have I violated
anything here ???
3) I'm working on an automated database backup routine but would like to be
able to support my client over the internet if I had to while away from
town. Does anyone have any suggestions on what kind of remote control
software would be the best ?

P.S. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated

 

[Jeff Conrad]

Hi Don,

I've just finished producing my first access database for a small company.
The system works extremely well and the customer is really pleased with the product.

Sweeeeet. Feels good doesn't it?

I've secured it a much as I know how to by making an MDE and building some
functions that will cause the database to expire if the customer decides not
to pay his bills in the future.

Sounds good. Did you integrate it with Access User Level Security? The MDE will protect the code,
but not the data. Any novice Access user could get at your data in a heartbeat without ULS set up.
If your expiration function is embedded in some fashion in the data tables themselves then someone
could actually turn this off without your knowledge! Just thought I would point that out.

Now that I'm this far....I've got some questions that I'm not really sure
where to get the answers to so thought I would post and see what others who
have been here before would suggest.

Here is just fine for starting.

Here are my questions so far.......
1) What is the best way of protecting the work that I've created ? (Should I
consider copyright which I really don't know anything about ?)

Well you should SERIOUSLY consider talking to a lawyer about this. Honest! The laws vary widely by
country so a lawyer will provide the best advice. Actually in most cases if you provide a software
solution to a company THEY own the code! Yes, there are other ways around this so that is why you
need to talk with a lawyer NOW!

2) I viewed the previous system that the customer was using and took some
ideas from their model and put them into my application. Have I violated
anything here ???

By just looking at things I don't believe so, but again talk with a lawyer.

3) I'm working on an automated database backup routine but would like to be
able to support my client over the internet if I had to while away from
town. Does anyone have any suggestions on what kind of remote control
software would be the best ?

Symantec PcAnywhere is my choice for this. I've used it for years to take control of all our remote
restaurant locations' computers and do updating/troubleshooting. I can honestly say that I could not
do my job without this program.

Good luck,

 

[Don Garry]

Thanks Jeff ! Your a good man !

I'll seek advice from a lawyer immediately.....thanks for the advice.

 

[Don Garry]

Hi Jeff, I'm still going to a lawyer in the morning but I've been chewing on
what you wrote about the customer owning the application.

In my case the customer has not paid anything for the development of the
application which I would 'think' makes a difference as to who really owns
it. Your thoughts or comments would again sure be appreciated.

 

[Reggie]

Don, If you have simply built this app on your own time and have not signed any contract with a
customer to provide the deliverable, then you own it. If you are under contract read the fine print
to see what it says about ownership agreements.
If you are working for a company and the company is having you design this program for a
customer or prospective customer(s) then normally your parent company will own the rights to the
product. But as Duane suggested, seek legal advice ASAP to eliminate all the guess work.

Good luck!

 

[Jeff Conrad]

You're welcome Don, glad to help.
And thanks for the kind words!

 

[Jeff Conrad]

Hi Don,

Well I'm certainly not a lawyer, so you're still doing the best thing by talking with one directly.
Reggie provided some good points already on your question. If nothing has been signed between you
and the other party AND you did not work on this on their computers and/or property, you *probably*
own the code right now. But, if they had you sign something, then you best be checking that document
over carefully!

If you work on a project for your present employer and then decide that it would be nice to sell
elsewhere, be careful because your employer most likely owns the rights to that code. You can draw
up some kind of agreement between you and your employer to get around this, but this is where you
need a lawyer for sure.

Your new favorite buzz words will be End User License Agreement (EULA). Through an attorney's help
you can draw up an EULA that allows you to sell the same program to many people. Most professional
software programs are like this. You use a copy of Windows, but Microsoft owns the code. You agree
to the terms of their EULA before using the program. So in essence you are *licensed* to use
Windows. The same can be true of your program. If I want to buy it, I pay you some money, agree to
the terms of your EULA, and then I am licensed to use it, but I do not own the code nor can I turn
around and sell that to someone else as my own. Follow me?

EULAs can be in any shape or form. See MVP Arvin Meyer's company practices on this subject for just
one possible example:

http://www.datastrat.com/DataStratConsultingPractices.html

Good luck,

 

[SamD]

So, how would your average person go about purchasing a copy of Access
Developer, and how much is it? Anybody out there ever use it? Is it worth
it?

 

[Craig Alexander Morrison]

You do not really need it unless you want to distribute your application
with the runtime.

The main component of the Access Developer Extensions is the licence to
distribute the runtime version.

It is incredible value if you have distributed 10,000 applications, less so
if you have distributed only 1.

 

[Craig Alexander Morrison]

That is completely wrong! You MUST be certified (vbg).