Licensing Agreements

Some information on licensing for companies considering partnerships with universities

• A license is a legal agreement. When something is licensed the owner (e.g. individual, university, etc) grants specific rights to another (e.g. individual, company) to use it.
• The knowledge under licence can be wide ranging. It can vary from a physical product such as a land contamination analyser to specific information, such as a manufacturing process, a logo or the right to copy a publication.
• A licensing arrangement provides an excellent opportunity for companies to use information and knowledge they would otherwise be unable to use. It also allows companies to make new contacts within their field of expertise (e.g. academic partners).
• The terms of a license deal can be for a specific duration, field of use, etc. The arrangements also outline the financial payment to the owner (e.g. upfront payment, annual/milestone payments, royalties etc).
• For example, if a new chemical compound developed through years of research in a university and protected by a patent would be beneficial to a company to improve their work processes, it could be licensed to the company.

If you want to know more or have a specific query or requirement regarding licensing, please contact us on 0131 651 4791 or complete our feedback form.

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