licensing agreement

Written contract under which the owner of a copyright, know how, patent, servicemark, trademark, or other intellectual property, allows a licensee to use, make, or sell copies of the original. Such agreements usually limit the scope or field of the licensee, and specify whether the license is exclusive or non-exclusive, and whether the licensee will pay royalties or some other consideration in exchange. While licensing agreements are mainly used in commercialization of a technology, they are also used by franchisers to promote sales of goods and services.