Questions to ask before you sign an AI data licensing contract
This is not legal advice. It is a list of practical questions owners should get clear answers to, with their own counsel, before signing.
Scope
- Exactly which systems and which date ranges are covered?
- Is anything excluded, such as specific customers, documents or fields?
Ownership and use
- Is this a license? Do you keep ownership of your data?
- What may the buyer use the records for, and what is off limits?
- How long is the term?
Security, privacy and deletion
- How are the records stored and secured while the buyer holds them?
- When and how are they de-identified, and is that before any model training?
- When are they deleted, and how is deletion confirmed?
Money
- What is the price, and when and how is it paid?
- If anyone helped arrange the deal, who pays them and how much? You should know before signing.
Your obligations
- Do any customer contracts, privacy laws or software licenses limit what you can share?
- What exports does your team need to run, and in what format?
- What happens if you want to stop before signing, or after?