If I outsource an app to be developed, how do I protect it from the idea being taking and they run with it?
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You can't really do that. If they want to take your idea, they will. Regardless the contract you signed. There is always a way. Your only protection is your own and unique ability to execute your idea. I've outsourced up to 300 projects in dozens of different countries in the world, trough different platforms, and I've never been copied a single time. However code produced may have been (illegally) reused, but I do not care much. I think the main reason is that wanting to launch a company is a very common desire in developer's mind, but very few will actually do it, because of fear. And those who start will prefer their own idea, than the idea of another. |
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You should be realistic here. Even if you had the help of the best lawyers, writing a perfectly watertight contract with NDA and whatnot for you, it would be very difficult and expensive to start a lawsuit in a country on the opposite side of the globe. The best chance might be not to outsource the whole application, but only parts of it, probably to geographically distributed regions (e.g. let Russian programmers do the programming and Rumanian designers do the artwork) and assemble all of it yourself. |
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Consult for legal advise and of course provide a contract. Nowadays, it is very hard to easily trust in that matter. I agreed with Pierre. One of the best protection is to have your own and unique ability to execute your idea. |
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Lawyers create pieces of paper. Someone interested in stealing your idea, especially overseas, is not going to care what your piece of paper says. They will grab your source and use it for themselves or share it with other companies, their government, their friends, or post it online. If it's really sensitive code, or a really valuable idea you do not want stolen, do not send it overseas for development. Simple as that. |
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