Tech & Sourcing @ Morgan Lewis

Open-source software (OSS), by its nature, is sometimes overlooked as part of technology transactions. OSS is often a key aspect of a business’s software ecosystem, whether it is used in internal systems or forms a fundamental part of solutions that are sold to customers or used to provide services to customers; however, OSS often sits in the background, as a foundation of a software solution, and can therefore go unconsidered by those not familiar with its uses, benefits, and risks.

We are excited to welcome Mathilde Carle as a partner in Morgan Lewis’s Paris office and as a guest contributor to our Tech & Sourcing Spotlight series to discuss intellectual property (IP) protection and other related issues in agreements to design, build, license, host, and support digital solutions, including automation, AI, and software as a service (SaaS) products.

“March Madness” started early this year as the US District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee recently granted a preliminary injunction enjoining the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) from enforcing rules prohibiting student-athletes from negotiating name, image, and likeness (NIL) agreements with third parties, including NIL collectives (i.e., “organizations created by alumni, boosters, or businesses with the purpose of providing NIL opportunities to their school’s athletes”), before the student-athlete enrolls in a particular college or university.