COMPANY DATA LICENSING / PRACTICAL FIELD NOTES
Twelve questions before sharing company data
Questions to take to your team and a proposed data buyer before authorizing access or signing an agreement.
A useful data partnership starts with clear choices. These questions help you identify what needs an answer; they do not replace review of your particular contracts and obligations by qualified advisers.
Who is contracting with us?
Get the buyer's legal identity, the role of any intermediary and the people responsible for security, delivery and commercial decisions.
What precisely would we provide?
Define systems, record categories, date ranges, exclusions and whether delivery is one-time or ongoing. Avoid an open-ended promise to provide everything.
What may the data be used for?
Ask about model training, evaluation, redistribution, sublicensing, derived products and permitted recipients. Understand the actual scope instead of relying on a general phrase such as “AI research.”
Who has the authority to license it?
Check company, employee, client, supplier and third-party rights. Identify any contracts requiring permission. Flag restricted or controlled technical information before discussing transfer.
What must stay out?
Identify personal information, credentials, privileged materials, security details and contractual exclusions. Agree how exclusions will be implemented and checked.
Who can access the raw records?
Ask about access controls, processing locations, subprocessors and what a buyer actually receives. A security statement is a starting point for questions, not a substitute for the agreement.
How will de-identification be evaluated?
Ask what is removed or transformed, how residual identification risk is assessed, and what you can review. Do not assume that a label such as “anonymized” means no risk remains.
Is the license exclusive?
Understand duration, territory, future licensing restrictions and any continuing duties. Ask how changes in ownership or business operations are handled.
What happens if we stop?
Clarify termination, retention, deletion, backup handling and any use already permitted. Do not assume that withdrawing a request reverses a transfer or model training that already occurred.
What counts as an accepted delivery?
Agree measurable acceptance criteria, review periods, rejection reasons, correction obligations and who resolves a dispute.
What triggers our payment?
Separate the quoted amount, invoice requirements, acceptance event and actual payment date. Identify costs, taxes, deductions or obligations that affect the result.
How is the intermediary paid?
Ask who pays the referral fee, what triggers it, what conflicts exist and whether you were already known to the buyer. Your licensing proceeds and the intermediary's fee are different amounts.
How to use the checklist.
Mark each item answered, unresolved or not applicable. Keep the answers in writing with the applicable source or agreement. Resolve material unknowns before sending records. We can help organize the questions; we do not certify legal rights or security compliance.
References & context
The checklist is our discussion framework; buyer descriptions are not independent security verification. Source links do not imply endorsement.
These resources are educational. Confirm current program requirements and the written terms for your particular opportunity.
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Updated October 26, 2026 · See linked buyer sources for current program details.