www.advocateshah.com
2154
Form No. 3
Software Development Agreement
1
This Agreement made at __________ this ______ day of __________
BETWEEN
M/S A.B.C. & Co. Ltd. a Public Company limited by shares registered
under the Companies Act, 1956 and having its registered office at .......
.................................. hereianafter referred to as the Customer of the
One Part;
AND
M/S XYZ & Co. Ltd. a Public Company limited by shares registered
under the Companies Act 1956, and having its registered office at ........
................................... hereinafter referred to as ‘The Contractor of the
Other Part;
WHEREAS
(a) the Contractor has agreed to write certain Computer program for
the customer and to provide other services hereinafter mentioned
upon the terms and conditions hereinafter mentioned.
NOW IT IS AGREED BETWEEN THE PARTIES AS FOLLOWS:
(1) The Contractor agrees to design and write the software in the
programming language as per the specifications given in the Schedule
hereunder written and to deliver and install the software on the computer
hardware equipment of the Customer and which is installed at the office
viz.________ (hereinafter referred to as the Computer equipment). The
Contractor shall also supply the Documentation alongwith the software
and to render such other services as hereinafter mentioned.
(2) The Contractor admits that it has received all information about
the specifications above referred to and the said Computer Equipment
and the Contractor will not be entitled to raising any objection on the
ground of misinterpretation of any fact relating to the functions, facilities
and capabilities of the equipment or any part thereof.
(3) The Contractor agrees and undertakes to carry out the project
that is the Deliverables
2
to be supplied and all services to be provided by
the Contractor under this Agreement with reasonable care and skill with
the help of qualified and experienced personnel.
(4) Similarly the Customer will provide the Contractor with accurate
and complete information as will be necessary concerning the customers
operation and shall answer to queries, decisions and approvals reasonably
necessary for the Contractor to undertake the project.
(5) The Customer shall provide the Contractor and its personnel free
access to and the use of the said computer equipment, offer full help of
the Customers employees and shall provide electric power, lights, heating
and air conditioning facility at the site of the Computer Equipment and
1 Software means computer programme in object form only as described,
including any copies but excluding source code material and preparatory
design material.
2 Deliverables means the software and documentation.
THIS IS JUST A FORMAT.
Kindly take proper Legal Advise for Drafting Document as per your requirements.
www.advocateshah.com
2155
all other necessary facilities reasonably required for the working of the
Project.
(6) The Customer guarantees that the computer equipment and all
the software and other the deliverables, used in the said computer equip-
ment is the property of the Customer and the Contractor is permitted to
use the same.
(7) Each party hereto will appoint its qualified representatives who
will hold meetings between them from time to time to provide progress
reports and to discuss the same and other issues.
(8) The bespoke
3
software will be written with the use of the said
Computer equipment which will be maintained by the Customer and at
its own costs but solely for the purpose of the Project.
(9) The Customer will keep the said computer equipment validly in-
sured against all risks of loss or damage from any cause whatsoever for
the full replacement value thereof and will pay the premium thereof from
time to time regularly. The Customer shall not agree to sell, or mortgage
the said computer equipment during the subsistence of this agreement.
(10) The Contractor will be responsible for providing and installing
the software on the said computer equipment at the said site thereof. The
software so installed will consist of one copy of each class of software in
machine readable object code on the storage media specified in the speci-
fication and the Contractor will deliver the documentation in accordance
with the project specification. If the Customer desires the Contractor to
provide or procure the provision of software maintenance the same will
be done under a separate agreement to be entered into between the par-
ties hereto.
(11) At any time prior to the acceptance date hereinafter mentioned, the
Contractor may in writing recommend and the Customer may in writing
from time to time request change to any part of the project. The Contrac-
tor shall investigate such change, with the consent of the Customer and
if recommended it will be effected accordingly provided that the costs
incurred due to such change will be payable by the Customer.
(12) After the software is installed on the Computer equipment the
Customer will submit to the Contractor by the date specified in the Proj-
ect plan, for approval of the Contractor a test specification setting out
the criteria and procedures for the acceptance of the software which is
suitable to demonstrate that the software complies with and performs in
accordance with the specifications and the Contractor will be bound by
the acceptance specifications unless they are not in accordance with the
specifications. The Customer will undertake the acceptance test at the site
where the computer equipment is installed. The Customer will undertake
the acceptance test in accordance with the acceptance specifications dur-
ing the testing period using test data and expected results prepared by
the Customer and accepted by the Contractor. The testing will commence
within eight days after installation of the software.
(13) If any part of the software fails to pass the acceptance test, the
Contractor will be allowed to rectify such part of software until the same
complies with the tests.
3 Bespoke software as distinguished from package software, means a service and
more akin to consultancy.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT
www.advocateshah.com
2156
(14) If the software or any part thereof fails to pass the acceptance test
two times, then the Customer may give notice to the Contractor giving
him option either to provide at no extra charge such additional service
and replacement items as will enable the software or the part thereof to
pass the acceptance test within a period of ____ days after service of the
notice, or to accept the software or part with an abatment of the contract
price as reasonably suffered by the Customer after taking into account
the circumstances.
(15) If even after the procedure stated above the software fails to pass
the acceptance test or if the amount of abatement of price is not agreed
upon, then the Customer will be entitled to reject the software and termi-
nate this agreement giving written notice to the Contractor in that behalf.
(16) However, the Customer shall be deemed to have accepted the
software if the Customer signs an acceptance certificate after successful
completion of all stages of the acceptance tests or if the customer fails
to demonstrate to the Contractor within a period of _____ days that the
software has materially failed to pass the acceptance test in accordance
with the acceptance specifications or if the software or a substantial part
thereof is first put into operational use.
(17) The contract price for the Project payable by the Customer to
the Contractor and the mode of payment thereof will be as stated in the
schedule hereto. The said price will not include the charges for the addi-
tional services rendered by the Contractor and which are not provided in
this agreement as well as the charges for the computer facilities provided,
including storage media, data preparation, photocopying documentation,
printing and other material provided by the Contractor itself or through
a third party.
(18) If any instalment of the contract price or any other amount pay-
able by the Customer to the Contractor is not paid on the due date the
same will carry interest at the rate of ____ p.c. p.a. from the due date till
payment. This is without prejudice to the other rights of the Contractor
under this Agreement or in law.
(19) Until the acceptance of the software programme by the Customer
as aforesaid and the payment of the contract price agreed to be paid by
the Customer to the Contractor the copyright in the Computer programme,
documentation and other material developed by the Contractor under this
agreement will belong to the Contractor. On the acceptance of the programme
by the Customer and payment of the Contract price by the Customer to
the Contractor the copyright in the said program and the documentation
and all other rights will vest in and belong to the Customer.
(20) The Contractor warrants that it has ability to perform its obligations
under this agreement, that the design of the software will be suitable to
fulfil the specifications and the software will perform and in accordance
with the specifications and that the installation of the software will be free
from defects in workmanship.
(21) The Contractor further warrants and agrees that it will be respon-
sible to rectify within a reasonable time any defect which under proper
use, care, and maintenance appears in the software, provided the defect
is properly reported to the Contractor in writing within _____ weeks of the
Acceptance of the Software without any additional charge provided the de-
fect is not found cured due to any negligence on the part of the Customer
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT
www.advocateshah.com
2157
or due to any modifications made by the Customer or any other person
without the consent of the Contractor.
(22) The Contractor agrees to indemnify and keep indemnified the Cus-
tomer against any loss or damages suffered or incurred by the Customer
on account of breach of any copyright or rights relating to any patent,
trade mark or design of any other person committed by a Contractor in
supplying the software program under this Agreement.
(23) The Customer assures the Contractor that any specifications,
decision or instruction given by it to the Contractor do not infringe any
intellectual property or other rights of any other person and the Customer
agrees to indemnify the Contractor against any loss or damage suffered
by the Contractor on account of such breach.
(24) All information, knowledge, whether commercial, financial, tech-
nical or otherwise received by one party from the other party hereto in
connection with the project and this agreement will be kept confidential
including the employees, or agent of the party and the auditors, profes-
sional advisers, and others having legal right or duty to have access to or
knowledge of the confidential information in connection with the business
of the party.
(25) Either party to this agreement may terminate this agreement by
giving to the other one months prior notice, in the event of breach of any
term or condition of this Agreement by the other or if the other party is
ordered to be wound up or goes into voluntary liquidation or if the party
closes its business.
(26) The purpose of this Agreement shall be carried out within a period
of ____ months from the date hereof failing which the agreement shall
stand terminated on the expiration of the said period unless the parties
agree to extend the term in writing in which case the clause will apply to
the extended period.
(27) On the termination of the agreement by efflux of time or otherwise
as aforesaid, the Contractor will be paid all moneys due to the Contractor
after taking into account the amounts previously paid together with the
total value of the project completed upto the date of termination, and the
cost of materials and goods ordered for the Project for which the Contrac-
tor has paid or is legally bound to pay. If the Contractor is paid till the
termination any amount in excess of what is due to it as aforesaid, the
excess will be refundable by the Contractor to the Customer.
(28) Termination of the agreement will not prejudice the rights of any
party accrued to it till the date of termination.
(29) Any notice required to be given by the party hereto to the other
under this agreement shall be given in writing and shall be served either
through post registered A.D. or by Fax or by personal delivery at the ad-
dress of the party hereinabove mentioned.
(30) This Agreement is the sole repository of the agreements and un-
derstandings arrived at between the parties and it supersedes all previous
correspondence, representations, communications or memorandum of
understanding.
(31) Any dispute or difference arising out of or in respect of this agree-
ment or any provision thereof will be referred to arbitration of one or two
arbitrators conversant with the subject matter of this Agreement and the
arbitration will be governed by the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT
www.advocateshah.com
2158
(32) This agreement will be governed by the Indian law and any compe-
tent Indian Court alone will have jurisdiction to entertain any legal action
taken by one party against the other.
THE SCHEDULE ABOVE REFERRED TO
CONSISTING OF
(1) Specifications (2) Documentation
(3) Computer equipment (4) Installation date
(5) Project Plan or program (6) Contract price and mode of payment .
(7) Project plan Training plan and personnal.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the parties have put their seals hereunder the
day and year first hereinabove written.
Common seal of the ABC & Co. )
the withinnamed ‘Customer’ )
is affixed as per the Resolution )
of the Board of Directors in the )
presence of ... ... .. .. )
Common seal of the XYZ & Co. )
the withinnamed ‘Contractor’ )
is affixed as per the Resolution )
of the Board of Directors in the )
presence of ... ... ... .. )
__________
–––––––––––––––––––
Note: For Stamp Duty & Registration see respective paras of Preliminary Notes.
Stamp Duty, eStamping & Registration : See the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 (2 of
1899), Rates of Stamp Duty in various States, eStamping and Compulsorily & Option-

websites, in respective later Part/Chapters on Stamp Duty, eStamping & Registration of
Deeds & Documents.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT