Master service agreement
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A master service agreement, sometimes known as a framework agreement, is a contract reached between parties, in which the parties agree to most of the terms that will govern future transactions or future agreements. A master agreement permits the parties to quickly enact future transactions or agreements, negotiating only the points specific to the new transactions and relying on the provisions in the master agreement for common terms. This master agreement can be used to mediate employer-employee conflict in the workplace by having a reference point to work out solutions and set specific terms.
Contracts in the information technology, contract research, and similar "open ended" fields are often negotiated as a "Master Service Agreement" and a "Statement of Work". Typically, the Master Service Agreement specifies generic terms such as payment terms, product warranties, intellectual property ownership, dispute resolution, and liabilities.