Pastoid

Hey there - 
 
Happy to help to the extent I can.? Here are a couple of resources to get you started figuring out what sounds best for your organization:
 
http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/business-structures/llc/
 
http://www.directincorporation.com/corporateform.php?PHPSESSID=490a1ac7434f9e5ec0767758d3bed63f
 
http://incmenowlaw.com/?gclid=CN_7ivPYh5oCFYVM5QodlgJFGA
 
I don't have any direct experience with the laws of incorporation (I doubt my basic Bar review knowledge would help you much!), but I do know people who have set up their own law practices, for example, and formed an LLC.? It definitely affords protection to you - otherwise, your personal assets are fair game if you get sued. But all of the corporate forms generally do that.? So the links above can help you figure out which form, in particular, best suits your needs.? I'm assuming your venture is intended to generate profits for you, but if that's incorrect and you're running on donations only, you might consider non-profit status as an option.
 
I've heard that it's fairly straightforward to complete any of the corporate forms yourself as opposed to hiring an attorney to do it for you, but I always default to hiring an expert to help.? I would think you could find a local attorney (the Findlaw site has a "find a lawyer" feature) to help you.? This sounds like something that should be done on a flat-fee basis as opposed to hourly for something so straightforward.? If you start considering any attorneys, feel free to email me their names, and I'm happy to run them by my office to see if anyone has had any experience with those people.? You may also want to use Findlaw to look for someone who specializes in software licensing.? There should be some kind of a search you can run (kind of like a patent search) before you go to the trouble of setting up an LLC or other corporate form so you can see if anyone else is using the code right now, etc.
 
This may be?part and parcel to the company set-up, but you'll definitely want to consider some kind of a written agreement about ownership, profit-sharing, etc.? It can be pretty basic - like profits/ownership/expenses split evenly among x number of people.? But it's always good to get your agreement down on paper to protect yourself.
 
Good luck - sounds like an exciting venture!
Liz