Hackathon Participation & IP Agreement
A Hackathon Participation & IP Agreement is a contract between event organizers and a participant that sets the ownership of work created during the event, waives certain liability for participating, and records the participant's acknowledgment of the event's code of conduct. Use this when organizing a hackathon and you need participants to agree upfront on who owns the code and other work product built during the event, to accept a liability waiver for participating, and to acknowledge the event's code of conduct.
What's included
A ready-to-use hackathon participation & ip agreement with signature fields already placed for Organizer and Participant. Fill in the bracketed details (like [Company Name] or [Date]) using Docracy's built-in text editor, then send it out for signature.
This is a general template for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a qualified attorney to review it for your specific situation and jurisdiction before use.
Key clauses
- Ownership of code and other IP created during the event
- License granted to organizer for demo, judging, and promotional use
- Liability waiver and assumption of risk
- Code of conduct acknowledgment
- Eligibility requirements and grounds for disqualification
- Media and publicity release
What you'll fill in
[Event Name][Organizer Name][Participant Name][Event Dates][Team Name (if applicable)][Code of Conduct Reference][Effective Date]Legal summary
Signing this agreement confirms the participant's acceptance of the stated IP ownership terms, the liability waiver for participating in the event, and the event's code of conduct. It does not by itself resolve IP disputes between team members on a multi-person team — those are typically addressed separately in a team agreement.
Free for up to 2 signers, no account required. Need unlimited? Flat $10/month.
FAQ
Is this Hackathon Participation & IP Agreement legally binding?
Signing through Docracy uses a simple electronic signature (SES), which is legally recognized for everyday business agreements under laws like the U.S. ESIGN Act and the EU's eIDAS regulation. This is a general template, not legal advice — for high-stakes or regulated agreements, have a qualified attorney review it for your situation.
Who needs to sign this Hackathon Participation & IP Agreement?
This template includes signature fields for Organizer and Participant — already placed, so you just fill in the details and send.
Can I edit this Hackathon Participation & IP Agreement before sending it?
Yes — Docracy's editor lets you edit the text, add or remove signature fields, redact sections, and reorder pages before you send it.
Do I need an account to send this Hackathon Participation & IP Agreement?
No — it's free for up to 2 signers with no account required. Create a free account only if you want to save it to a dashboard or reuse it later.
Try it with an AI assistant
Paste one of these into ChatGPT, Claude, or your assistant of choice:
“Generate a filled Hackathon Participation & IP Agreement using this template for a weekend hackathon.”
“Explain what IP ownership terms are typical for hackathon participants versus the organizing company.”
“Adapt this Hackathon Participation & IP Agreement for a hackathon where teams keep their own IP.”
Why teams start with Docracy
“Docracy is a great product that I have tested and am using. It is easy to use, has good tools, is always up to date, and implements new features. Highly recommended.”— DACH Advisory
Free for up to 2 signers, no account required. Need unlimited? Flat $10/month.