Protect Your Source Code with Trusted Source Code Escrow Services

Source code escrow is essentially the same a software escrow agreement with the exception that a software escrow agreement may require the deposit of additional materials such as name and address of Key Personnel, a list of third-party software tools, build instructions and other information into escrow. Source code escrow agreements are often only related to source code.

• 1. How often does my vendor change or update the source code?
  2. How often are they required to update the escrow deposit?
  3. What is the impact to my business if a critical software vendor fails?
  4. In addition to source code, what would I need to support the software without the vendor?
  5. Who would help me support the software if my vendor fails?
  6. Do I have ready access to a functional backup of my data?
  7. What release conditions make sense for my situation?
  8. How can I use the escrow deposit materials?

Developers should consider making a source code escrow agreement for several important reasons:

Business Continuity: A source code escrow agreement acts as an insurance policy, safeguarding your software investment and ensuring business continuity. In the event of unforeseen circumstances such as the software vendor’s bankruptcy, acquisition, or inability to provide ongoing support, having a trusted escrow agent like PRAXIS enables you to access and maintain control over the source code, allowing you to continue using and maintaining your software.

Intellectual Property Protection: Source code is the foundation of your software’s functionality and represents valuable intellectual property. By depositing your source code with PRAXIS, you add an additional layer of protection against unauthorized access, theft, or misuse. PRAXIS follows stringent security protocols to keep your source code confidential and secure, giving you peace of mind regarding the protection of your intellectual property.

Vendor Compliance: A source code escrow agreement with PRAXIS incentivizes software vendors to remain compliant with their contractual obligations. Knowing that the source code is securely held in escrow and accessible to the beneficiary in case of non-compliance, vendors are motivated to fulfill their commitments, provide updates, and maintain ongoing support. This encourages a more accountable and reliable relationship between developers and vendors.

Customer Trust and Confidence: Offering a source code escrow agreement demonstrates your commitment to your clients’ interests and instills trust and confidence in your software products. It assures your customers that their investments are protected and that you have taken proactive measures to ensure the long-term viability of your software solutions.

Industry Best Practices: Source code escrow has become a standard industry practice, especially in mission-critical software deployments. By engaging in a source code escrow agreement with PRAXIS, you align yourself with best practices and industry standards, demonstrating your professionalism and commitment to responsible software development.

Overall, creating a source code escrow agreement is a proactive and strategic step that benefits developers by mitigating risks, protecting intellectual property, enhancing customer trust, and ensuring business continuity.

PRAXIS Escrow provides a secure and transparent process for checking the contents of the source code escrow. Here’s how you can verify what has been placed in the source code escrow with PRAXIS:

Agreement Terms: Start by reviewing the terms of your source code escrow agreement. This document should outline the specifics of what is included in the escrow, such as the source code files, related documentation, libraries, or any additional materials agreed upon.

Verification Process: PRAXIS Escrow follows a meticulous verification process to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the deposited source code. When a trigger event occurs or when you request a verification, PRAXIS initiates the process to confirm the availability and integrity of the escrowed materials.

Confirmation with Escrow Agent: Contact your designated PRAXIS Escrow agent to request a verification or inquire about the contents of the source code escrow. They will guide you through the necessary steps and provide the required information.

Secure Access: PRAXIS Escrow employs robust security measures to protect the confidentiality of the escrowed materials. Depending on the agreed-upon process, you may be granted secure access to review the contents within a controlled and monitored environment.

Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA): In some cases, depending on the sensitivity of the source code, you may be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) before accessing and reviewing the escrowed materials. This ensures that the confidentiality of the source code is maintained.

It’s important to note that the verification process and access to the source code escrow may be subject to the terms and conditions outlined in the escrow agreement. PRAXIS Escrow is committed to providing a transparent and secure process, enabling you to verify the contents and gain peace of mind regarding the protection of your software investment.

In 2016, PRAXIS pioneered direction connection to source code archives for Automated Escrow depositing and dramatically improved source code escrow services. 

PRAXIS’ clients using GitHub, BitBucket and many other similar code archiving systems can connect directly to their Digital Deposit account. This connection is easily established and PRAXIS’ engineers can assist with this.

The PRAXIS solution relies upon the security built into each archival system. So our clients rest assured knowing that their IP is secure and no third party tools are needed to connect. Our clients determine the repositories to be shared, the frequency of the replication and the connectivity method. Once connected, PRAXIS makes weekly backups of the archive to ensure continuity and stores all version in our redundant data centers.