Licensing data from a closing company
Preserve a record inventory and establish who can authorize a license before offering a closing company’s data. Program interest does not settle ownership, creditor rights, privacy duties or authority to sign.
On this page
Establish who can make the decision
A closing company may still hold useful records, but a former employee's access does not establish authority to license them. Identify the entity that owns the assets and the person authorized to act for it. Ask the company's advisers to review the proposed transaction and any sale, dissolution or insolvency process.
This page is a preparation checklist. The appropriate legal process depends on the company, jurisdiction and records; a buyer's application cannot resolve it.
Inventory before accounts disappear
Write down the systems, record families, dates and current custodians. Record retention or preservation instructions from the people responsible for the company. Do not export, delete or change access simply to prepare for a licensing pitch.
Where an authorized person approves preservation, keep the chain of custody and the original context. Note missing attachments, lost credentials and dependencies on services that may close. The company-data summary can describe these gaps without sending files.
Separate company work from other people's material
Review client contracts, contractor contributions, licensed software and earlier asset transfers. Ask whether the company retained the relevant rights and whether any other party has approval or claim rights. Include customer and employee information in the privacy review.
Defined.ai's supplier terms place rights obligations on the supplier. A data program's willingness to review an archive does not discharge those obligations. Use the rights checklist to organize the documents your adviser needs.
Check the exact program track
Turing's program describes active, winding-down and wound-down companies. Other providers may have separate referral or closed-company routes. Do not apply the conditions of a referral offer to the seller's license.
The qualification tool separates documented lifecycle coverage from questions still requiring confirmation. Start with a nonconfidential summary and ask for the sample agreement and proposed signing entity before granting access.
Keep payment and future duties with the company record
Ask who receives proceeds, who answers later questions and who handles renewal or deletion requests after the team disperses. Check whether the proposal requires updates or work the closing company cannot provide.
Use the ongoing-licensing guide and offer worksheet to record those duties. Save the final agreement, signing authority and delivery receipt with the company's retained documents.
Sources and limitations
Partnership Programs | Defined.ai Checked 2026-11-08
Defined.ai · Primary source
proper consent, documentation, and the right to commercialize the data for AI training
The program states these requirements; they do not establish permission for a particular dataset. Publication date not established.
Project Lazarus | Turing Checked 2026-11-08
Turing Project Lazarus · Primary source
Through revenue share … You owe nothing.
The no-sale FAQ answer addresses what the seller owes. The agreement sets the payment terms. Publication date not established.