BearingPoint Mergers & Acquisitions Support
Whether Target or Vendor – we analyze your Software quickly, efficiently, and strictly confidentially
Whether Target or Vendor – we analyze your Software quickly, efficiently, and strictly confidentially
Free and Open Source Software has become an indispensable part of most companies, be it in IT infrastructure or software development. Therefore, its legally compliant use is of great importance in M&A transactions.
On the buyer's side, there is an interest in receiving detailed information whether the company being sold has acted in a legally compliant manner not only with regard to the use of commercially licensed software, but also with regard to the use of free and open source software.
Free and Open Source Software licenses can contain problematic obligations that have far-reaching consequences:
Business model invalidation
No license fees can be charged for the product.
Software IP invalidation
Source code of the whole product must be published as Open Source.
Business case invalidation
High remediation costs; sometimes re-develop from scratch.
With a BearingPoint open source analysis, you gain full transparency on specific risks and ensure the success and sustainability of your transaction.