WhoOwnstheCode?IPOwnershipWhenYouHireanOffshoreDeveloper

In many jurisdictions, a contractor (as opposed to a direct employee under certain employment laws) may retain rights to the work they create unless the contract explicitly assigns those rights to you. This varies by jurisdiction, which is exactly why relying on assumption instead of a written clause is risky — what's true by default in your country isn't necessarily true in your contractor's.

This is general information, not legal advice — an IP assignment clause reviewed by a qualified attorney is the reliable way to make sure this is handled correctly for your specific situation.

A solid agreement should include an explicit work-for-hire or IP assignment clause stating that all code, designs, and related work product created for the project become your property, typically upon full payment. It should also address pre-existing IP — reusable code, libraries, or tools the contractor brings into the project — so it's clear what's licensed for your use versus what's actually transferred.

This should be agreed and signed before substantive work begins, alongside an NDA covering confidentiality of your business information — standard practice for any serious engagement, not an unusual request.

Ask for source code access throughout the project, not just at the end — a contractor who resists giving you visibility into the actual codebase during development is a signal worth taking seriously. Clear, milestone-based delivery with code handed over at each stage is the healthiest structure for both IP clarity and project oversight.