License your tech without losing the thing that makes it yours.
Inbound and outbound software, IP, and data licensing for Ontario technology companies protecting what they have built.
THE DIRECT ANSWER
What is technology licensing?
Technology licensing is the legal arrangement that lets one company use another's software, patents, trademarks, data, or know-how under defined terms. The licence can be exclusive or non-exclusive, perpetual or time-limited, royalty-bearing or flat-fee. The agreement controls how the technology is used, who owns improvements, and what happens when the relationship ends.
WHY IT MATTERS
Licensing is where the real defensibility lives.
Licensing is where a lot of tech companies make or lose real money. Get it right and you open up channels, geographies, and revenue you could not reach on your own. Get it wrong and you give away the thing that makes your business defensible.
Inbound licensing — where you license someone else's technology — is usually about keeping costs predictable and protecting yourself from claims of misuse. Outbound licensing — where you licence yours out — is about pricing, scope, and making sure what comes back (improvements, derivative works, feedback) stays yours.
Both directions need the same things handled carefully: clear scope, precise IP ownership on improvements, audit rights, termination mechanics, and what happens to the licensed technology after the relationship ends. Ontario adds a layer — tax treatment, cross-border transfers, and compliance with federal IP regimes — that generic US templates miss.
HOW WE SUPPORT YOU
01
Draft outbound licensing agreements for software, data, patents, and trademarks.
02
Negotiate inbound licences from vendors, universities, and technology partners.
03
Structure exclusive, non-exclusive, field-of-use, and territory licences.
04
Handle IP ownership of improvements, derivative works, and joint development.
05
Build in audit rights, royalty reporting, and termination provisions that protect you.
06
Review and redline licensing paper drafted by counterparties.
FAQ
Common questions about technology licensing.
What's the difference between a licence and an assignment?
Should I grant an exclusive licence?
Who owns improvements made by the licensee?
How are royalties usually structured?
What if the licensee gets acquired?
Do I need different agreements for inbound and outbound?
RELATED SERVICES
Work we often pair with technology licensing.
Intellectual Property
Trademarks, copyright, and brand protection for creatives and founders.
SaaS Agreement Lawyer Toronto
Customer, reseller, and data-processing agreements for SaaS teams scaling into revenue.
Partner & Reseller Agreements
Channel revenue structures, referral programs, and reseller terms for tech companies.