Selling or licensing the data of a closed or bankrupt logistics business

Closed businesses are part of this market

In October 2026, MIT Technology Review ran the headline "AI labs are buying data from dead startups to train their models". One public example is a proposed bankruptcy sale of an airline's internal records, which a court had not approved as of October 18, 2026 (covered below).

For what buyers look for, how deals work and what to check in your contracts, see our guide to selling or licensing your logistics company's data. A closed business adds one question first: who can decide?

Who can decide what happens to the records

The answer depends on whether a formal process has started.

The business has stopped operating, with no formal process

The question is whether you have the authority to decide what happens to the records. If the business has co-owners or other directors, check who needs to agree. If the business can't pay its debts, get legal advice before you sell or license anything.

US Chapter 7 bankruptcy

Where a trustee is serving, the company must "surrender to the trustee all property of the estate and any recorded information, including books, documents, records, and papers, relating to property of the estate" (11 U.S.C. 521). The trustee may sell estate property outside the ordinary course of business only after notice and a hearing (11 U.S.C. 363).

US Chapter 11 bankruptcy

A Chapter 11 debtor in possession has the rights and powers of a trustee, subject to limits the court sets (11 U.S.C. 1107).

In either kind of case, speak to the trustee or the company's bankruptcy lawyer before you agree to anything.

UK administration and liquidation

According to legal commentary, the High Court has held that "an administrator is not automatically the controller of personal data for data protection purposes", provided they do not take decisions as principal on behalf of the company. In a 2013 case, the court held that the liquidators "were not data controllers and were just acting as agents of the company". One law firm notes that sales arranged by insolvency practitioners customarily come without "any representations or warranties" about data protection compliance.

If the company is in administration or liquidation, speak to the administrator or liquidator first.

UK dissolved companies

Under the Companies Act 2006, when a company is dissolved, "all property and rights whatsoever vested in or held on trust for the company immediately before its dissolution" are deemed bona vacantia. They belong to the Crown, the Duchy of Lancaster or the Duke of Cornwall, subject to the company being restored to the register (section 1012).

HMRC's manual puts it plainly: "Once a company is dissolved, it can no longer do or receive anything." A company that is being wound up still exists until it is dissolved. Get advice on how this applies to a dissolved company's records.

In a US bankruptcy, a privacy policy can bring in an ombudsman

Suppose the business told individuals, when offering a product or service, that it would not transfer their personally identifiable information to people or companies not affiliated with it, and that policy was in effect when the case began. Then the trustee may not sell or lease that information unless:

• the sale is consistent with the policy, or
• a consumer privacy ombudsman is appointed and, after notice and a hearing, the court approves the sale, after giving due consideration to its facts, circumstances and conditions and finding that no showing was made that it would violate applicable nonbankruptcy law (11 U.S.C. 363).

The ombudsman can give the court information on the policy, possible privacy losses or gains for consumers, and alternatives that would reduce them, and "shall not disclose any personally identifiable information" obtained in the role (11 U.S.C. 332).

A public example: the Spirit Airlines data sale

In August 2026, Google won a bankruptcy auction for Spirit Airlines' internal business records with a $10 million bid, according to Bloomberg Law. The records were reported to include about 100 million emails, with personal data and privileged materials excluded.

The consumer privacy ombudsman in the case recommended approval in an October 5 report, finding that "The potential privacy losses or costs to consumers have been eliminated or mitigated", The Next Web reported. As reported, the safeguards described in her report included:

• a de-identification firm hired by the airline filing a certification with the court before every transfer
• a public commitment from the buyer not to re-identify the data
• onward transfers only to recipients who make the same commitment

She did not assess risks to the airline's employees or to third parties.

Others objected. The flight attendants' union argued that the sale agreement "requires links across datasets to be preserved", which it said could let information about individuals or small groups be reconstructed, Reuters reported. Pilot unions, vendors seeking to enforce confidentiality agreements and a software vendor also objected. Members of Congress warned that "conventional de-identification safeguards may not be sufficient to protect employee privacy".

Court status as of October 18, 2026 (latest report, October 14): the court had not approved the sale. The hearing, first noticed for August 19, had been adjourned five times, most recently on October 9 to November 6, 2026.

This is one proposed, court-supervised sale. Its safeguards are not a legal standard for private deals, and a private license may look quite different. What it does show is that a sale can draw objections from employee unions, vendors and lawmakers even with safeguards in place, and that the court process can run for months.

Record retention duties still apply

Whatever happens to a copy, keep the originals for as long as the rules require. For example:

• Freight brokers keep the record of each transaction for three years (49 CFR 371.3).
• Customs brokers keep records for at least 5 years after the date of entry, with originals "within the customs territory of the United States" (19 CFR 111.23).
• Licensed ocean freight forwarders keep a separate file for each shipment, among other records, for five years (46 CFR 515.33).
• Tax records: the IRS generally says to keep records for 3 years, and employment tax records for at least 4 years after the tax becomes due or is paid, whichever is later. It also says to check whether you need records longer for other purposes before you discard them.
• UK limited companies "must keep records for 6 years from the end of the last company financial year they relate to", under GOV.UK's guidance.
• UK liquidations: HMRC's handbook for insolvency practitioners says a liquidator may destroy the company's books, papers and records one year after the company is dissolved.

Software can delete your records

Some software providers' published terms allow customer data to be deleted soon after a subscription ends. Samsara's terms say that if a license ends and isn't renewed, customer data "may be immediately deleted", and that "some information may not be exportable". ShipHero's terms say it may delete customer data 30 days after the service ends.

If you can still log in, export what you can now. Our guide Before you cancel or switch logistics software covers more providers and what to do before you give notice.

Insightlanes.com is not affiliated with or endorsed by any software provider named on this page.

Checklist: stopped operating, but not in a formal process

1. Confirm who can decide. Check who owns the business and whether co-owners or other directors need to agree.
2. Get advice before any formal step. If the business can't pay its debts, or you plan to dissolve the company or file for bankruptcy, ask a lawyer about the records first. Who decides may change once that step is taken.
3. Keep the originals. Check the retention periods for your type of business before you discard anything.
4. Export from your software while you can. Start with any system whose subscription is about to end.
5. Gather your contracts and privacy policies. Customer contracts, NDAs, software terms and dated privacy policies can limit what may be shared, and a privacy policy can matter in a later bankruptcy. Our guide to selling or licensing company data explains what to look for.
6. Don't count on the money. If the business has debts, get advice on who would be entitled to any payment.
7. Get your own legal advice before you sign anything.

How Insightlanes.com helps

We introduce owners of logistics businesses to a data licensing firm. If your business has closed, its records may still qualify, as long as you have the authority to decide what happens to them. Fill in our short form with your team size and years in business. Rough numbers are fine. If it looks like a fit, we introduce you to a firm that represents owners in these deals and email you its name. The firm explains its process and terms, usually over a few video calls, and you decide whether to go ahead.

If a trustee, administrator or liquidator is involved, they may be the ones who decide, so speak to them first.

• No cost. If you sign, the firm we introduce you to pays us a referral fee. You never pay Insightlanes.com anything.
• No calls from us. Everything from us is in writing, so you can decide in your own time. If you go ahead, the firm we introduce you to usually explains its process over a few video calls.
• You decide. Nothing is shared without your OK.

Read what you would be agreeing to, and get your own advice before you sign. This guide is general information, not legal advice.