Hi guys, so I am still in the development stage of my first iOS game

I will be outsourcing the coding to an online freelancer (not through Odesk, Elance, Freelancer or any 3rd party sites).

I will be providing him with all the graphics, sounds and also the Game Design Documents.

My concern is that I feel like I have no real protection against him from finishing the game, then uploading it himself on the iOS store.

Besides a written contract (I don't know how effective that is internationally and for freelance work), are there any safety measures, methods or programs I could use to prevent him from stealing the game?

Any tips will be greatly appreciated!

If your overly concerned maybe u can just give him stub graphics and integrate it yourself. As long as you know alittle Xcode and name the stub gfx the exact same names, but that's just making more work for everyone. When your contracting out esp off shore you're gonna take the risks but that would be weighted against the benefits.

I'm moving you to our Business and Law forum for this one.

Besides a written contract (I don't know how effective that is internationally and for freelance work), are there any safety measures, methods or programs I could use to prevent him from stealing the game?

The contract is absolutely necessary. No contract can prevent an international thief from stealing, but it gives you legal grounds. Execute a good contract between you. Stop worrying about thievery. Make a good game.

Tnx jbadams, sorry about posting in the wrong section.

And thanks guys, we were thinking about using place holder graphics but like you said, that will just create more work & we might not do it smoothly either.

Yeah def. putting in the contract, are there any more safe guards?

Will Bitbucket and other management tools help? or are they just there as pure communication and project management tools?

Also in regards to graphics - since we have outsourced a freelancer for our graphics, do we need a signed permission contract/form from him as proof of ownership when we use these graphics in our game?

You really can't be "protected." There are just two approaches:

1) Pick an unfamiliar contractor, and hope for the best. A good contract will give you solid legal grounds, but the expense and probability of recouping losses will be prohibitive if you and he are both small fish.

2) Pick a well known agancy to outsource to. Your legal claim against them in the even of mis-deeds will be much more valuable: they have both money and reputation to protect. However, these people will cost more (though also give you better reliability and work quality).

Tnx HscottH, I'll def think those options over carefully.