<h1>Ten-year AI-first IT services deal raises IP, data protection, cyber, SLA, change-control and risk allocation issues</h1> A global IT services provider and a multinational apparel company entered a ten-year strategic services agreement under which the provider will deploy proprietary AI-first platforms, automation and AIOps to modernize the buyer's IT landscape, streamline operations and extract data-driven value. The contract contemplates broad digital, application and data transformation work and positions the provider as strategic collaborator, raising typical legal issues: scope and change-control, IP ownership/licensing of platform improvements, data protection and cross-border data transfers, cybersecurity, service levels and remediation, subcontracting, compliance with industry regulation, and allocation of risk for unmet forward-looking performance expectations.