For businesses built on innovation, intellectual property (IP) is among their most valuable assets. Through strategic IP licensing arrangements, IP owners can generate significant income, improve their market share and increase awareness of their brands. Those that depend on the creativity of others can use licensing arrangements to acquire needed innovations, cut development costs, bring products to market faster, and benefit from the resources and efforts of those who have already created what they need.
Stradley Ronon IP attorneys help clients formulate, implement and execute worldwide IP optimization and protection strategies. We assist IP owners/licensors, creators and licensees in structuring licensing arrangements to secure their competitive advantage.
Our Interdisciplinary Experience
Recognizing that licensing is an interdisciplinary field requiring the collaboration of technology, law and business, we structured our IP practice group to include attorneys experienced in all three disciplines. Members of the group have served as in-house counsel, have advanced technical degrees, are former engineers and scientists, and are experienced in a wide variety of technologies, including the electrical, mechanical and chemical arts, life sciences, medical devices, materials applications, computer systems and software and business methods.
This combination of skills enable us to readily understand, value and leverage client innovations, recognize licensing opportunities, maximize their potential and assist in devising effective business and marketing strategies.
Our Approach
Every license agreement should be specific to the parties, the IP, and the rights granted and obligations undertaken. With that in mind, when handling licensing matters we begin by listening carefully to our clients to assess their needs and goals. Then we negotiate the deal, drafting an agreement that addresses the various issues that may arise, reflects our client’s wishes, sets forth adequate protections and clearly defines the scope of the license.
Our firm maintains a database of IP licensing agreements, enabling us to quickly and cost-effectively customize agreements without the need to draft anew.
Our Depth & Breath of Experience
Stradley Ronon attorneys have substantial experience negotiating, drafting and enforcing licensing agreements and technology-transfer agreements involving all types of intellectual property, including patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret rights. We have assisted higher education organizations and companies of all sizes across industries in granting and obtaining IP license rights, handling all aspects of IP acquisition, protection, optimization and enforcement.
Our attorneys have advised on, crafted and enforced a broad range of licensing agreements, including:
- confidentiality, nondisclosure and secrecy agreements to foster a candid information exchange
- options to purchase or license to facilitate the commercialization of new technologies
- sales agency, manufacturing, distributorship and dealership agreements to promote product commercialization
- transfers and licenses of trade secrets, technical know-how, patents and other forms of IP
- trademark licensing and quality monitoring agreement
- sole, exclusive and nonexclusive licensing arrangements
- software licensing agreements (SLAs) and cloud computing agreements
Additionally, we have advised on intellectual property issues and licensing concerns in the context of business interactions, including joint ventures, government funding, supply and requirements contracts, financing arrangements, mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, and codevelopment and other collaborative arrangements.
Our Global Value-Added Services
Stradley attorneys regularly prepare and prosecute patents and trademarks and assist clients in applying for and registering copyrights. Our lawyers advise on and negotiate the IP aspects of business transactions, offer guidance regarding due diligence, use restrictions and transferability issues and litigate disputes when they arise. We are also adept at employing licensing arrangements to help clients avoid costly litigation and to settle IP infringement lawsuits. Clients can rely on our thorough understanding of U.S. and international IP law, contract law, and antitrust and competition law. As a member of
Meritas, we have access to a network of national and foreign IP lawyers to assist with securing and enforcing global IP rights and protection.