{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-blog-post-ts","path":"/why-you-need-an-api-license-agreement/","result":{"data":{"site":{"siteMetadata":{"title":"Clausehound Blog","author":"Joshua Koudys"}},"markdownRemark":{"id":"6675d9ca-77d7-5297-8bf5-18cca35d5a1c","excerpt":"Some companies may open up their API to third party developers without an API license agreement (“going naked”), however this can cause problems and lead…","html":"<p>Some companies may open up their API to third party developers <em>without</em> an <strong>API license agreement</strong> (“going naked”), however this can cause problems and lead companies to later need to create a license and restrict what developers are doing. This article uses <em>Twitter</em> as an example. Twitter previously had given developers very liberal access to their API, but developers were using their API to duplicate their interface and compete with them, so Twitter made changes to its API Agreement.</p>\n<p>The article points out that API license agreements are important because circumstances can change, and the Agreement can protect the API owner if changes need to be made to either the type of access developers have to the API, or to the API itself. It can also allow the owner to set the expectations and standards it has for apps developed by third parties. The Agreement usually contains terms that permit the company to unilaterally amend the Agreement at any time, as well as limitations on liablity.</p>\n<p>Returning to the Twitter example, without an API license agreement containing limitations on liability and allowing it to make unilateral changes to the agreement and to developers’ access to the API, Twitter’s changes would have exposed it to lawsuits by developers who relied on the API for the continued existence of their apps and businesses .</p>\n<p><a href=\"http://www.aberlawfirm.com/2011/03/15/2-reasons-why-you-need-an-api-license-agreement/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Read the article here.</a></p>\n<h3>Takeaway:</h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Having an open API without a license can lead to copy cats and new competitors for your business. This article outlines some of the benefits of having an API license agreement.</li>\n</ul>","frontmatter":{"title":"Why You Need an API License Agreement","date":"November 15, 2015","description":"Some companies may open up their API to third party developers without an API license agreement ('going naked'), however this can cause problems and lead companies to later need to create a license and restrict what developers are doing.","author":{"id":"rajah@cobaltcounsel.com","first":"Rajah","last":"Lehal","bio":"Rajah Lehal is Founder and CEO of Clausehound.com.  Rajah is a legal technologist and technology lawyer who is, together with the Clausehound team, capturing and sharing lawyer expertise, building deal negotiation libraries, teaching negotiation in classrooms, and automating negotiation with software.","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1,"src":"/static/d7bbad08c257f3987a4a5710553e9e17/bdd4d/Rajah.jpg","srcSet":"/static/d7bbad08c257f3987a4a5710553e9e17/2b9ee/Rajah.jpg 80w,\n/static/d7bbad08c257f3987a4a5710553e9e17/e5d64/Rajah.jpg 160w,\n/static/d7bbad08c257f3987a4a5710553e9e17/bdd4d/Rajah.jpg 320w,\n/static/d7bbad08c257f3987a4a5710553e9e17/6e63d/Rajah.jpg 400w","sizes":"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px"}}}},"tags":["API","Grant of License","Commercial Activities","Rajah"]}}},"pageContext":{"slug":"/why-you-need-an-api-license-agreement/","previous":{"fields":{"slug":"/open-source-code-allows-your-community-to-give-helpful-feedback/"},"frontmatter":{"title":"Open Source Code (API) Allows Your Community to Give Helpful Feedback","tags":["API","Commercial Activities","Rajah"],"author":{"id":"rajah@cobaltcounsel.com","first":"Rajah","last":"Lehal"}}},"next":{"fields":{"slug":"/understanding-the-expropriation-process-making-the-best-decisions-in-a-high-pressure-situation/"},"frontmatter":{"title":"Understanding the Expropriation Process: Making the Best Decisions In a High Pressure Situation","tags":["Commercial Activities","Farming Law","Expropriation","Rajah"],"author":{"id":"rajah@cobaltcounsel.com","first":"Rajah","last":"Lehal"}}}}}}