Where the value sits
Lots of public code is online already. Hard to find is what surrounds private code: why a change was opened, which review bounced it, and how it got patched once it shipped.
Years of real product work tie those steps together in your issue tracker, review history and release notes.
Records that tend to qualify
- Repositories and commit history. How a codebase grows and gets refactored.
- Pull requests. What a reviewer flags, and the thinking behind it.
- Tickets and bug reports. How problems get reproduced and closed.
- Architecture docs. They explain why a system ended up built the way it is.
First, code that belongs to someone else
If you build for clients, much of that code may belong to them and may need their permission. Setting the scope covers who owns what, and client-owned code can be kept out in full. Reading your contracts is a job for your counsel. We do not offer legal advice.
The second concern is customer data inside tickets, chat and logs. Names, emails and account details are replaced with placeholders in the copy.
What you can keep back
- Client projects. They stay out by default, and only you and your counsel can change that.
- Core products. Keep any product, repo or time period out.
- Secrets and credentials. Passwords are never requested and never shared.
Where it begins
You start with the estimate form, and a License Your Data specialist calls within minutes to schedule a 15-minute call, covered by NDA. After that call, License Your Data prepares a de-identified copy of what is in scope. You approve a sample before any buyer licenses it.
Questions owners ask
How much does this cost?
Nothing. There is no cost to you.
Does our code stop being ours?
No. What buyers license is a de-identified copy, and your repositories remain yours, right where they are.
Do outsiders get into our repositories?
No one does. There are no login requests, and your originals never leave your systems.
Should we get anything ready for the call?
No. Knowing which tools your team uses, and roughly since when, is enough. Nobody asks you to export files.
Years of engineering work may have real value. Get a range.
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