Product Licensing Agreement Definition


Licensing involves obtaining permission from a company (licensor) to manufacture and sell one or more of its products in a defined market area. The company that receives these rights (the licensee) generally agrees to pay a license fee to the original owner. In today`s rapidly changing technological world, new technologies are the key to economic growth. Nowadays, many products have very short life cycles and are easily replaced in the market by new technologies. If a company wants to survive, it must constantly add new products to replace declining products. License. The license itself is described, with details on the deadlines (one year?), the scope (UNITED STATES, world?) of the license and the assertion of exclusivity. Details of what the licensee can do with the license (manufacture, sell, sublicense, distribute and export products with it, etc.). A license agreement is a written agreement between two parties in which one owner allows another party to use that property under a certain set of parameters. A license agreement or license agreement typically includes a licensor and a licensee. Licensing simply means granting another person the right to use an asset they own for specific purposes and usually for a specific payment or series of payments called a “royalty.” In most cases, a party licenses the right to sell or exploit any goodwill it possesses, such as.

B intellectual property, product or methodology. Some examples include a license to develop and promote a patented product and sell it in a specific territory; a licence to use its own product as part of a mixture of products sold; a license to use a trade name or logo to sell a product in a specific location; the license to publish a copyrighted work that you have written, etc. etc. If you continue with a licensed product agreement, you may find that your business is growing rapidly. The question of where to apply for a license depends largely on it: exclusivity and territory. The licensee is granted the exclusive right to manufacture and sell the product in a specific territory. Licensor agrees not to allow anyone to sell the Product in this territory. This part of the agreement is usually associated with a clause. Licensees and licensors like to be thorough in their agreements to ensure that nothing is overlooked.

Both parties need to know what rights they have in relation to this relationship. Licensing agreements cover many factors, including the following: when a party licenses something, they want to make sure it`s being used in the right way. This section of the Agreement describes how Licensee ensures that this is done. This may include regular quality assurance checks or give the licensor the right to monitor the sale. Non-Disclosure Agreement. Both parties agree not to divulge any trade secrets. In addition to the detailed description of all parties involved, the license agreements specify in detail how the licensed parties may use the properties, including the following parameters: Several factors that may affect the potential royalty of a licensed product include: A license agreement is an agreement between two parties (licensor and licensee) in which the licensor grants the licensee the right to use the brand name, Trademarks, patented technology or ability to manufacture and sell Licensor`s products. In other words, a license agreement grants the licensee the opportunity to use the licensor`s intellectual property. License agreements are typically used by the licensor to commercialize their intellectual property. In May 2018, Nestlé and Starbucks entered into a $7.15 billion coffee license agreement.

Nestlé (licensee) has agreed to pay $7.15 billion in cash to Starbucks (the Licensor) for the exclusive rights to sell Starbucks products worldwide (single-serving coffee, tea, sachet beans, etc.) through Nestlé`s global distribution network. In addition, Starbucks receives royalties on packaged coffees and teas sold by Nestlé. Cloth. A detailed description of the licensed product, service or trade secret. This part may contain a patent, copyright or trademark number. A license agreement is a written agreement that gives you permission to use another party`s property under certain conditions. The two parties to this Agreement are the Licensor (the licensor) and a licensee (the licensor). But it`s rarely that simple, because the licensee`s activities are an issue that should be of great interest to any smart licensor, as a poor or malfunctioning licensee can lead to the uselessness of a product or service that could have generated good cash flow, while other competing products dominate the field. In addition, most licensees need advice and support from the licensor, so it is inevitably not just “cashing the cheques”.

While many inventors dream of licensing their product to a multinational that simply pays a lot of money over time, the average license includes two relatively small companies that must work together to ensure the success of the process. As a licensor, you are expected to enter into the legal agreement that ensures that both parties are fully aware of their respective rights and obligations, beyond the mere setting of royalties. Good legal advice is usually needed to negotiate things such as: Check state regulations. Depending on the type of product sold and to whom it is sold, there may be restrictions for the licensee. For example, some products (such as firearms) may not be sold in certain U.S. countries or states. Do your due diligence before the agreement. Both parties should carefully check the other party. Review business loans and management resumes. Ask for annual financial statements. Visit the other company`s offices and production facilities. Try everything.

Sub-agreements. In the license agreement, as with other types of contracts, there may be sub-agreements. For example, Licensor may require a non-disclosure agreement to prevent Licensee from disclosing proprietary product features or processes to third parties. Licensee may require Licensor to sign a non-compete clause to prevent Licensor from breaching the Agreement by allowing someone else to sell the Product in Licensee`s Exclusive Territory. Patent licenses include the right to manufacture, sell, use, distribute and export the patented product. An example of a restaurant license agreement would be if a McDonald`s franchisee has a licensing agreement with McDonald`s Corporation that allows them to use the company`s branding and marketing materials. And toy manufacturers regularly sign licensing agreements with movie studios, giving them legal authority to produce figurines based on the popular similarities of movie characters. Licensing a product or service can be a great way to generate good cash flow if the document is properly prepared and clearly understands the objectives and obligations of the parties. In most cases, the scope of a license is limited, leaving the licensor free to develop specific markets or work with more than one licensee. It is important not only to keep an eye on the right legal advice, but also to get good tax advice and local knowledge before starting the relationship. .