Intellectual Property Licensing Attorneys
Maximize your intellectual property with royalty and licensing agreements negotiated by experienced Colorado IP lawyers.
Your intellectual property can be just as valuable as tangible property such as a collectible or even real estate, and sometimes more. Many companies exist and thrive solely by marketing products built on licensed intellectual property rights. That is one more reason to register and protect yours with patents, trademarks, copyrights, and other legal tools.
Put your intellectual property to work.
Royalties. Once your rights are registered, allowing a third party to produce, sell, and distribute products using your IP can earn a licensing fee or a recurring royalty.
Manufacturing and distribution. Let another company handle production and distribution, with lower capital requirements for you.
Focus. Spend your time on the next invention, brand, or creative work while your licensees bring the current one to market.
Benefits and drawbacks of licensing.Know both before you sign.
Benefits of licensing.
- Let another company handle manufacturing and distribution.
- Focus your time on creating.
- Lower capital requirements.
- Create a source of passive income.
Drawbacks of licensing.
- Your licensee may become your competition.
- Less control over quality.
- A finite licensing term.
- Possible ownership and license disputes.
Licensing and assignment agreements.Negotiated detail by detail.
Agreements that set clear boundaries.
After you register the rights to your works and ideas, it can be even more convenient or valuable to let a third party produce, sell, and distribute products using your IP in exchange for a licensing fee or recurring royalty. Intellectual property licensing agreements are complex, and they define the specific boundaries within which third parties can use your intellectual property.
Licensing and assignment contracts require extensive negotiation over minute details, and IP owners should negotiate with the support of an experienced intellectual property lawyer. Our IP lawyers can help you draft and negotiate the intellectual property agreement that best serves your interests.
The terms people miss.Don’t let a template fill in the blanks.
Formalities. Many licensing agreements unfortunately lack formalities and important terms you want to review and get on the record.
Talk to an attorney ›Software. Licensing computer software isn’t the same as licensing music, which is different again from licensing art.
Software licensing ›Music and art. Each type of creative work comes with its own rights, customs, and licensing terms.
Copyright law ›Photographs. Licensing photographs for commercial use may require additional documentation beyond a license or royalty agreement, depending on what was photographed.
Copyright law ›Open source. Make sure your work doesn’t depend on open source libraries that could force major changes later if your use exceeds the scope of the license.
Open source ›Assignment of rights. Proper assignments for audiovisual and software projects are highly important and often under-prioritized in project management.
Learn more ›Complete ownership. Make sure your legal team secures complete ownership rights to your project.
Talk to an attorney ›License, exclusive license, or assignment?
License.
Permission for someone else to use your intellectual property within agreed limits. You keep ownership.
Exclusive license.
Exclusive use of a right in exchange for compensation, but much more limited than an assignment.
Assignment.
A permanent transfer of ownership from the assignor to the assignee, made in writing.
Have a legal question?
Talk with an experienced intellectual property licensing attorney about your patents, trademarks, copyrights, or software.
Schedule a consultationIntellectual Property Licensing FAQ
What is a license compared to an assignment?
Unlike a license, an assignment is a permanent transfer of intellectual property, generally a sale or transfer from the owner (the assignor) to the buyer (the assignee). If you want to transfer ownership of your intellectual property, make sure the transfer is in writing, through a deed or other written assignment agreement. An assignment can transfer present or future IP rights, often in exchange for a single lump-sum payment.
What does an implied license mean?
An implied intellectual property license may be found without an express licensing agreement if the licensing party’s conduct shows they intended to license or allow certain rights to the licensee. Courts often find an implied license in disputes where one party created a work at another’s request but never transferred the copyright to the purchaser after payment and completion of the commissioned work.
How does an exclusive license differ from an assignment?
Both exclusive licenses and assignment agreements give another person the exclusive exercise of a right in exchange for compensation, but an exclusive license is much more limited than an assignment.