Patent securing of an AI algorithm
We prepared company secret protection documentation for a unique data analysis engine. Thanks to this, the client was able to safely enter into a partnership with an e-commerce giant.
NeuralStream created an AI engine that analyzed shopping behavior faster than other solutions on the market. When a large player from the e-commerce industry appeared on the horizon, the company's founders faced a dilemma: how to establish cooperation without risking the loss of control over the proprietary code.
The challenge
The company then employed 7 programmers and owned one key product that was not formally described as a company secret. Chaos reigned in the documentation, and old contracts with subcontractors had legal gaps that would allow for taking over the system's operating logic without any license fees. We estimated that the real risk of losing intellectual property was approximately 380,000 PLN invested in developer man-hours alone. Without hard evidence of what exactly is their property, NeuralStream would be defenseless against corporate lawyers.
Our approach
For 22 days, we conducted an intense technical and legal audit at the client's headquarters. Our 3-person team analyzed 12 key code repositories and 14 non-disclosure agreements. We focused on facts: we had to precisely separate publicly available knowledge from real technological advantage. Money likes silence, so instead of standard templates, we prepared access procedures that leave a clear digital trace at every attempt to look into the algorithm's core.
The solution
We implemented a new company secret protection policy that covered the entire software production process. Each employee signed precise amendments with contractual penalties of 85,000 PLN for every documented breach. We also prepared a protocol for safe data sharing for an external partner. Thanks to this, the partner could use the results of the AI's action but had no physical possibility of recreating the code using reverse engineering. This was a game for control that we had to win at the technical level.
Results
NeuralStream finalized negotiations and signed a partnership agreement in January 2025. The founders retained full decision-making power regarding the development of the technology and receive a constant license fee.
Timeline
-
November 14, 2024Analysis of 12 repositories and audit of gaps in developer contracts.
-
December 05, 2024Implementation of an access logging system for critical IP resources.
-
January 15, 2025Signing of a safe partnership agreement with an e-commerce giant.
"We were afraid that the corporation would simply take over our code during integration. ADB showed us how to set boundaries that no one will dare to cross. Now our business is safe."