Service Level Agreement

Getting started with Common Paper

How was this agreement created?

The Common Paper SLA was created by a committee of dozens of attorneys representing technology vendors, procurement teams, boutique firms, and Big Law.

I see this agreement is hosted online. Does that mean it will change?

Version 1 of the SLA will remain unchanged and hosted at commonpaper.com/standards/service-level-agreement/1.0. Over time, we will create new versions to accommodate changes to the law and additional use cases. We expect future changes to occur infrequently, and they will be posted as a new version. However, any new versions will not change agreements that incorporate prior versions.

How do I use this agreement?

The Common Paper SLA is designed to be used with our CSA, an easy agreement for selling and buying cloud software and SaaS products. To execute a CSA, first download a copy of the Cover Page (offered below with the SLA component included) in your preferred format. Then fill out the business terms of your agreement, like subscription period and your SLA terms, and the legal terms like the governing law of your contract. Finally, sign your Cover Page with your counterparty via the signing process of your choice. The Cover Page incorporates the CSA Standard Terms and SLA Standard Terms by reference, completing the executed agreement.

Do I have to incorporate the Standard Terms by reference?

You can also download the full version of the agreement here and include the Standard Terms in the agreement itself.

Can I leave something out of the Cover Page?

Yes, some concepts in the CSA Cover Page are optional, like whether your agreement includes a DPA. When you download the Cover Page, you’ll see notes explaining which fields are optional. If you omit a definition from the Cover Page, the meaning will default to “none” or “not applicable” when the capitalized word is used in the Standard Terms.

Can I customize the Cover Page?

Yes, you can feel free to change the Cover Page any way you like. Many companies decide to add their company branding or logo and edit some of the text. The only thing you are required to keep is the license information and link to the Standard Terms.

Can I customize the Standard Terms?

All modifications to the Standard Terms should be made by addendum on the Cover Page. Incorporating the Standard Terms by reference from the Common Paper website gives both sides assurance that all key details and modifications are explicitly called out in the Cover Page.

What license is this agreement released under?

Common Paper agreements are free to use and modify under CC BY 4.0.