Patent Licensing Programs
Achieve the full potential of your patent portfolio
Licensing programs have become an increasingly crucial component of our clients’ business strategies. Today, successful companies are taking advantage of these programs to generate revenue, build brand equity and shareholder value, and gain competitive advantages. Licensing can force competitors to pay royalties, convert untapped assets into profits, and turn infringers into partners.
A formidable legal team with technical expertise
It takes a unique blend of technical, legal, and business skills and experience to develop and conduct licensing programs for sophisticated technologies. Our licensing team brings extraordinary technical knowledge and legal skill to bear across a broad range of scientific disciplines. More than 330 of our lawyers have degrees in science or engineering and many have Ph.D.'s and industry experience. With these resources at our command, we can put together a team to address everything required for success in this complex undertaking.
Pioneers in IP licensing
We bring experience in every conceivable aspect of licensing. Our lawyers regularly assist some of the world’s largest corporations and leading universities in negotiating strategic alliances and creating a host of various agreements involving joint research, licensing, distribution, litigation settlement, and technology transfers.
Finnegan lawyers have always been pioneers in the practice of licensing. Several of our senior partners played a key role in creating the premier professional group, the Licensing Executives Society (LES) and continue to hold key positions in the organization.
A flexible approach for optimal outcomes
Some clients retain us to develop and implement all components of their programs while others turn to us periodically for counseling or for assistance on discrete projects in their licensing programs. Regardless of the working arrangement you choose, we can efficiently address the legal, tax, marketing, research and development, and other business issues to execute a successful licensing strategy. We are always prepared to move quickly and deploy the appropriate resources based on our client’s needs.
A leader in patent licensing programs
Finnegan brings a wealth of experience counseling companies around the world on the development of licensing programs to exploit their patent portfolios. Our lawyers have helped set up patent management companies and licensing programs that license patents as a business for operating companies. We have identified profit opportunities and generated significant revenue for those operating companies in fields ranging from electronic components and telecommunications systems to consumer products. Our experience and perspective in developing and managing licensing programs runs deep. The firm has represented both licensors and licensees in many negotiations and litigations.
Finnegan handles all aspects of developing, implementing, and administering licensing programs:
- Analyzing the patent portfolio and marketplace to identify patents with strong legal and commercial value;
- Determining whether the patents are essential to a technology standard and whether they should be licensed separately or pooled with other patents;
- Deciding whether to license the patents through a patent management company and then setting up the appropriate companies and agreements;
- Formulating royalty rate structures and other contractual terms, and confirming compliance with global antitrust and competition laws;
- Negotiating agreements, arranging customs seizures, and conducting litigations throughout the world;
- Defending the patents in patent office procedures including interferences, continuations, reissues, reexaminations, oppositions, and cancellation proceedings;
- Administering agreements by monitoring royalty reports, distributing royalties, conducting audits, and resolving disputes with licensees.