Who owns the code your contractor wrote?
Paying a developer does not make you the owner of the software. What Canadian law assumes, what two 2026 Ontario decisions say about it, and what the development agreement needs to cover.
When does a business dispute become an intellectual property dispute?
Partnership, distribution and employment disputes often have an IP claim inside them. Spotting it early changes the remedies, the court and the leverage.
The co-founder who held the only keys
An Ontario court ordered a co-founder and CTO to hand over source code credentials pending trial. What the decision says about copyright assignments, pleadings admissions, and who controls a startup's repositories.
Who owns an invention developed by co-founders?
Co-founders often assume the company owns what they invent. In Canada, the default answer is usually different, and the gap matters most when a founder leaves.