Published 13 November 2026.
McKays introduces you to a vetted buyer. Once the buyer has confirmed our introduction fee in writing, you and the buyer agree terms, NDAs, samples and file transfer directly. We don’t draft your contract, and we don’t publish standard positions. You should have your own adviser review any agreement before you sign.
What follows is an outline of the questions a written agreement usually answers. It isn’t a template, and it isn’t a recommendation of any particular position. Sellers pay nothing to McKays. How we’re paid. The same outline sits, more briefly, on how licensing works.
Scope
Exactly which files, systems, years and versions are included, and what is excluded. “All our data” is not a scope. Whole categories — a client, a folder, a year, HR, anything sensitive — can stay out.
Permitted and prohibited use
What the buyer may do with the copy, and what they may not. Whether they can share it, sublicense it or resell it. Whether the licence is for a named licensee only. What happens if a group company or a subcontractor wants access. These are ordinary commercial points, and they are worth being specific about.
Sale or licence, and exclusivity
A licence usually means you keep your records and the buyer gets an agreed copy, on agreed terms, for an agreed time. A sale is a different thing. Exclusivity — by dataset, use, period or territory — is a choice with consequences: it can raise what a buyer will pay, and it can close off other options. See exclusive vs non-exclusive licences.
Preparation and personal information
Who prepares the copy, how personal and confidential information is handled, how that work is checked, and who pays for it. We don’t do this work, and we don’t promise that an archive can be made anonymous. See preparing records and re-identification and UK law.
Delivery, payment and what you keep
How the buyer reviews or rejects a delivery. The price, and when payment is due — that’s between you and the buyer, in your agreement with them, and is separate from our introduction fee. Who owns the originals and any prepared copies, and what you can keep doing with your own records. What happens to copies, derived data and models when the licence ends.
What we can’t promise
We can’t promise a buyer, a price or a completed deal. Every one of the points above is agreed for the specific conversation you are in. If someone has already sent you a contract, if you have an offer is a calmer place to start than a hurried signature.
This page is general information, not legal advice. It isn’t a ruling on any case. Please speak to your own adviser about your situation.
Sellers pay nothing. The first look is free. How we’re paid.