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French Translation of a Software Partnership Agreement with Sub-Licensing

09 July 2025 - News

We recently carried out the translation from English into French of a technological partnership agreement between a U.S. software publisher and a partner who had developed software solutions that the publisher wished to distribute to its clients.


📑 A contract structured around licensing and distribution

The document set out the terms of the non-exclusive license granted by the partner to the publisher, enabling the latter to distribute the software, either on-premise or by subscription, to its end clients. It also governed:

  • the sous-licence granted to end-users,

  • the provision of training and marketing materials by the partner,

  • the support services provided by the publisher (support de base, professional services, subscriptions),

  • the partner’s commitment to ensure compatibility of the licensed software with the publisher’s systems.


🔐 Escrow clause and related guarantees

A notable point in the contract was the obligation for the partner to place the software source code under séquestre, under precise conditions, to guarantee emergency access in the event of a serious contractual breach.

The contract also provided for audit rights, the security of données utilisateurs finaux, and the confidentiality of information exchanged.


📌 Key contextual equivalents

  • on premise distribute → distribution sur site

  • subscription distribute → distribution par abonnement

  • end user agreements → contrats d’utilisateur final

  • hosting services → services d’hĂ©bergement

  • license fee → redevance de licence

  • marketing and training materials → supports de marketing et de formation

  • support fee → redevance du service support

  • audit rights → droits de vĂ©rification

  • use and disclosure of end user data → utilisation et divulgation des donnĂ©es des utilisateurs finaux

  • security policies and safeguards → politique de sĂ©curitĂ© et mesures de protection

 

❓ FAQ: Translating a software partnership agreement into French

How is the agreement's licensing structure rendered in French?

It centres on a non-exclusive licence granted by the partner to the publisher, allowing distribution on-premise (distribution sur site) or by subscription (distribution par abonnement), with a sous-licence extended to end-users.

How is the source-code escrow clause translated?

Escrow over source code becomes séquestre. The partner must place its code under séquestre on defined terms, guaranteeing emergency access for the publisher in the event of a serious contractual breach.

Why distinguish "license fee" from "support fee" in French?

License fee maps to redevance de licence and support fee to redevance du service support. Keeping them separate prevents conflating the consideration for the licence itself with that for the publisher's support services.

What data-protection terms does the contract involve?

It governs the use and disclosure of end-user data (utilisation et divulgation des données des utilisateurs finaux) and security policies and safeguards (politique de sécurité et mesures de protection), which must align coherently with the audit rights (droits de vérification).

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