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Manufacturer or supplier

Questions to ask a lawyer about a manufacturer or supplier agreement

Answer plain questions about your business, and Tellbrief turns them into a short brief: the questions worth asking about a manufacturer or supplier agreement and the records to have ready, so your first call with a lawyer starts further ahead.

For example: A co-packer makes the product from a recipe the founders developed with outside help, on supply terms from a template. A brief for this founder suggests the lists below.

Questions worth asking

  1. What should our agreement with the manufacturer or supplier cover?
  2. Does the company own what contractors and early contributors made?Under U.S. copyright law, a contractor owns the copyright in what they make unless it falls in one of nine narrow categories with a signed agreement, or they sign it over in writing.1,2
  3. How do we protect what we keep secret when others need to see it?Under federal law, information counts as a trade secret only if its owner takes reasonable measures to keep it secret.3

Records to have ready

  • Your agreement with your manufacturer or supplierSomeone else makes or supplies your product.
  • Contracts and policies you already haveYour lawyer will start from what you have.
  • Agreements with contractors and other contributorsPeople outside the company may have made work you rely on.

Your brief builds its own lists from your answers.

Build your own brief

About 30 questions, most of them one tap. No account and no card during early access. Tellbrief isn’t a law firm and doesn’t give legal advice.

Start your brief

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Questions founders ask

What questions should I ask a lawyer about a manufacturer or supplier agreement?

For the founder in this example, the brief suggests: What should our agreement with the manufacturer or supplier cover? Does the company own what contractors and early contributors made? How do we protect what we keep secret when others need to see it? Your own brief builds its list from your answers.

What should I have ready before the first call?

For this example: Your agreement with your manufacturer or supplier; Contracts and policies you already have; Agreements with contractors and other contributors. Your own brief lists what fits your answers.

Is this legal advice?

No. Tellbrief organizes your information so the first conversation with your lawyer starts further ahead. It isn’t a law firm, and using it doesn’t make anyone your lawyer. Legal advice comes from a licensed lawyer, once they agree to take on your matter.

What does it cost?

Your brief is free during early access. If Jordan takes on the work, he agrees the scope and his fee with you before starting, and Tellbrief takes no share of it.

How long does it take?

About 30 questions, and most take one tap. Plan on 10 to 15 minutes.

Other situations

  1. 17 U.S.C. § 101, “work made for hire” (opens in a new tab).
  2. 17 U.S.C. § 204(a) (opens in a new tab).
  3. 18 U.S.C. § 1839(3) (opens in a new tab).

From tellbrief.com/for/manufacturer-or-supplier-agreement/. General information to prepare for a lawyer, not legal advice.