Navigating the Legal Landscape: From Research to Commercial Software

Disclaimer: This talk does not provide legal advice. It aims to highlight common legal challenges and considerations in software development. In this session, we aim to demystify the essential legal frameworks influencing both research and commercial applications of software, with a particular focus on continuous compliance with data protection laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), Data Protection Act (DPA), and Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). We'll delve into the management of Personal Identifying Information (PII) across the software lifecycle and scrutinize intellectual property (IP) rights, including a critical evaluation of the licences of dependencies which often get overlooked yet are pivotal for legal and operational consistency. The presentation will specifically address choosing the right software licences, highlighting differences between MIT, GPL, and AGPL—the latter being crucial for software deployed as a service (SaaS). Participants will receive practical insights based on real-world experiences from two projects that transitioned from development to commercialization, helping them understand the legal landscapes they must navigate, not as legal advice but as practical guidance for avoiding common pitfalls including those related to dependency licences. A recording of this session is available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RembkiHnUcs