IP licensing explained. Letting others use your IP.
IP licensing lets owners monetize intellectual property by granting others the right to use it under agreed terms. Common types: trademark licensing (franchising), patent licensing (technology licensing), copyright licensing (content licensing), software licensing (SaaS, EULA), trade secret licensing (sometimes via NDA structures). Key terms: exclusivity, territory, royalty, sublicensing, term.
Start here.
Trademark, patent, copyright, software, trade secret licensing.
Exclusive: only licensee can use. Sole: only licensee + licensor. Non-exclusive: multiple licensees allowed.
Common structures: percentage of revenue, percentage of profit, fixed fee, per-unit fee.
Geographic scope of license. Worldwide, US-only, specific countries.
Can the licensee further license? Often restricted to prevent unauthorized expansion.
The full picture.
Trademark licensing
Brand owner licenses use of trademark to another party (e.g., franchising). Typically royalty + quality controls. Licensor must police quality or risk losing the mark.
Patent licensing
Patent owner grants others right to practice the patent. Common in technology and pharmaceuticals. Royalty structures vary.
Copyright licensing
Content owner licenses use of copyrighted work: stock photography, music sync, software, books, video.
Software licensing
Granting use of software under defined terms. End User License Agreement (EULA), SaaS subscription, open-source licenses. Royalties may be flat fee, per-user, or revenue-based.
Trade secret licensing
Sharing confidential information under NDA + use license. Less common as standalone; often bundled with other IP licenses.
Exclusive licensing
Only one licensee receives rights; licensor cannot grant to others. Higher royalty typical. Often used in pharma and franchising.
Non-exclusive licensing
Multiple licensees can receive rights. Common in software, content distribution.
Royalty structures
Percentage of net revenue (3-15% common). Percentage of profit (10-30% common). Fixed annual or upfront fee. Per-unit royalty (especially in manufacturing).
Common license terms
Field of use restrictions, territorial scope, term, audit rights, quality control (trademark), warranties, indemnification, dispute resolution.
IP licensing vs assignment
License: ongoing right to use, owner retains underlying IP. Assignment: outright transfer of ownership.
Common questions.
What is exclusive vs non-exclusive?
What is a typical royalty?
What is territory?
Can a licensee sublicense?
Does licensing affect IP ownership?
Do I need a lawyer?
Can a trademark license be lost?
Where stored?
IP setup, done right.
Trademark filing, copyright registration, attorney-vetted IP assignment, and connection to specialty IP attorneys for patents.
This guide is educational. Specific IP decisions require professional legal advice.
How we deliver, end-to-end.
Four-step path from request to confirmation. State and IRS turnaround varies; our steps run in parallel where possible to compress the timeline.
Intake + scope
You tell us what you need through a short intake form (or a call for complex matters). We confirm scope, surface any gating issues (deadlines, missing documents, entity status), and quote any state fees that pass through at cost.
Prepare + verify
Our specialists draft the filing, verify entity details against state databases, run internal QA, and route any items needing your sign-off. You see drafts before anything gets submitted.
File with the authority
We submit directly to the state Secretary of State, FinCEN, IRS, USPTO, or whichever authority your filing requires. We pay state fees at cost and track the submission identifier in your account.
Confirmation + vault
Stamped certificate, IRS notice, or filing receipt arrives in your SOC 2 encrypted document vault the moment we receive it. Next filing deadline auto-added to your compliance calendar where applicable.
Built on the same infrastructure used by 220,000+ businesses.
SOC 2 Type II audited
Independent annual security audit covering access control, change management, incident response, and data handling. Current report on request.
All 51 US jurisdictions
Every state plus DC plus Puerto Rico - direct filings, not third-party reseller. We hold registered-agent qualifications in every state we operate.
Deadline guarantee
If we miss a filing deadline on a service you pay us to manage, we pay the state penalty. Specific to each plan and the filings it includes.
4.9 from 8,200+ verified reviews
Independently verified by Trustpilot + Google + our own NPS infrastructure. Customer success team within reach by email, chat, or phone.
60-day money-back promise
Change your mind in the first 60 days and we refund our service fee in full. State filing fees pass through at cost and are non-refundable once paid to the state.
E&O insured
Errors and omissions coverage protects you from service errors. Carrier and certificate available on request for enterprise clients.
Recommended add-ons
Most customers add these to keep their business compliant year-round.
Registered Agent
Most orderedRequired for every registered business entity in every state.
Compliance Monitoring
Best valueTrack every annual report, registered agent renewal, and license deadline.
Annual Report Filing
RecommendedAuto-file your state annual report. Never miss a deadline.
Premium compliance, no service-fee markup.
Trust you can verify
SOC 2 Type II audited platform. 220,000+ businesses served. 60-day money-back on service fees. State fees passed through at cost with no hidden markup. Explicit AUP on restricted industries.
A compliance partner, not a transaction
Most providers go quiet after checkout. We auto-track every annual report, registered agent renewal, and license deadline across your entities. The Business OS dashboard keeps your compliance score visible year-round.
Premium experience competitors cannot match
Premium positioning, transparent pricing, no service-fee markup on state or federal filings. Premium positioning, transparent pricing, no service-fee markup on state filings.