Mobile apps and SEO. An app that is yours, code and all.

A mobile app keeps your business on your customer's phone, and search optimisation helps new customers find it. Define IPR Solutions supports both, and makes sure the result belongs to you: the source code assigned in writing, and the app's name and icon checked and registered as trademarks.

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Free consultation. Fees quoted before you commit to anything.

Apps in three numbers

Where an app lives, and what protects it

  • 2

    app stores

    Google Play and the Apple App Store, each with its own review and its own search.

  • 2

    trademark classes

    App names are usually registered in Class 9 for the software and Class 42 for the service.

  • 60

    years of copyright

    Source code is protected as a literary work, for the author's lifetime and 60 years after it.

What can be yours

What a mobile app does for a business

An app can raise repeat business and referrals, and gives a small business a direct line to its customers.

  • Faster than a mobile website

    An app keeps data on the phone, so screens open quickly.

  • A personal experience

    Content and offers can follow what each customer uses and likes.

  • Your brand on the home screen

    Your icon and name stay in front of the customer every day.

  • Online and offline

    Parts of an app can keep working without a connection.

  • Instant updates and notifications

    Tell customers about an order, an offer or a change the moment it happens.

  • Productivity

    Bookings, orders and questions handled in the app take less staff time.

An app is software, and software is protected by copyright in India. Unless the agreement says otherwise, a freelance developer may own the code you paid for. See copyright registration.

How it becomes yours

How an app project works

Five stages, from the idea to an app that people can find.

  1. 01 Plan

    What the app must do

    We define who will use the app and the few things it must do well.

  2. 02 Name

    Checking the name and icon

    The app name is searched against registered trademarks before anything is designed around it.

  3. 03 Design

    Screens and flow

    The screens are laid out and revised with you before the build starts.

  4. 04 Build

    Development and testing

    The app is built and tested on real devices, with the ownership of the code set out in writing.

  5. 05 Publish

    Stores and search

    The app is submitted to the stores, with its listing written to be found. We can file the name as a trademark.

Being found

SEO and ASO: what is the difference?

An app needs both. One brings people from search engines, the other from inside the app stores.

QuestionSEOASO
What it stands for Search engine optimisation. App store optimisation.
Where people search Google and other search engines. Google Play and the Apple App Store.
What is optimised The website: its pages, speed, content and structure. The store listing: the title, description, screenshots and ratings.
What it brings Visitors to your website. Installs of your app.

Keeping it yours

What you get from Define IPR

  • App and search together

    Development with SEO and store optimisation planned from the start.

  • A name checked before launch

    So the app is not pulled from a store over someone else's trademark.

  • The code in your name

    A written assignment of the source code, and copyright registration if you want it.

  • The legal pages an app needs

    A privacy policy and terms of use, which the stores ask for.

What we need from you

  • What the app is for, and who will use it.
  • The features it must have on the first day.
  • Your brand name, logo and colours.
  • Whether it is for Android, iPhone or both.
  • Any existing website, system or data the app must connect to.
  • Apps you like, and what you like about them.

One thing to do first

Agree in writing who owns the source code before development starts. It is far harder to settle after the app is built.

Copyright in software is registered with the Copyright Office.

Before you decide

Mobile apps and SEO, answered

Does Define IPR Solutions build mobile apps?

Define IPR Solutions offers mobile application development and SEO support alongside its intellectual property work, so the app is built and protected by one firm.

What is the difference between SEO and ASO?

SEO, search engine optimisation, improves how a website ranks in search engines such as Google. ASO, app store optimisation, improves how an app ranks in the search results of Google Play and the Apple App Store.

Who owns the source code of an app I paid for?

It depends on the agreement. An employee's work normally belongs to the employer, but a freelance developer or agency can remain the owner of the code unless the copyright is assigned to you in writing.

Can I patent a mobile app in India?

A computer programme on its own cannot be patented in India. An invention that uses software to produce a technical effect may qualify. The code itself is protected by copyright.

How do I protect the name of my app?

Register it as a trademark. App names are usually filed in Class 9, which covers software, and Class 42, which covers software services.

Does my app need a privacy policy?

Yes. Both app stores require a privacy policy for apps that handle personal data, and Indian data protection law requires you to tell users what you collect and why.

How much does a mobile app cost?

It depends on what the app must do and which platforms it runs on. We quote after a free consultation, before you commit to anything.

Last reviewed . This page is general information, not legal advice.

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