MAKE YOUR FREE Trade Mark Licence Agreement
What we'll cover
What is a Trade Mark Licence Agreement?
A Trade Mark Licence Agreement is a document used to give somebody else permission to use trade marks that you own. Trade Mark Licence Agreements set out the terms of the licensing arrangement, for example, when and how the trade mark may be used on the licensee’s business products.
For more information, read Licensing trade marks.
When should I use a Trade Mark Licence Agreement?
Use this Trade Mark Licence Agreement:
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to grant someone (ie the ‘licensee’) an exclusive, non-exclusive, or sole licence to use your (ie the ‘licensor’s’) trade mark
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to allow somebody to use your trade mark for specified products
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to set out both parties’ obligations under the licensing arrangement
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to licence a trade mark to an individual, a sole trader, or a company
Sample Trade Mark Licence Agreement
The terms in your document will update based on the information you provide
TRADE MARK LICENCE AGREEMENT
Parties
(1) (the Licensor); and
(2) (the Licensee).
Background
(A) The Licensor is the owner of the Mark.
(B) The Licensee wishes to use the Mark in the Territory in relation to the Licensed Products. The Licensor is willing to grant the Licensee a licence to use the Mark subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
Agreement
Meanings
- In this Agreement, the following words are defined:
Agreement | this trade mark licence agreement and any changes that the parties agree in writing; |
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Confidential Information | in relation to either party, any information (whether or not stated to be confidential or marked as such) which that party discloses to the other, or which the other party obtains from any information disclosed to it by that party, either orally or in writing or by any other means, under or in connection with this Agreement; |
Effective Date | ; |
Licensed Products | the goods and/or services in respect of which the Licensee is licensed to use the Mark set out in Schedule 2; |
Materials | the packaging, advertising and promotional materials to which the mark is applied pursuant to this Agreement; |
Mark | the registered trade mark (or application) set out in Schedule 1 of this Agreement; |
Territory | ; |
VAT | value added tax; |
Working Day | any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday in England and Wales. |
- In this Agreement, unless the context requires a different interpretation:
- the masculine shall include the feminine;
- the singular includes the plural and vice versa;
- references to sub-clauses, schedules or appendices are to sub-clauses, schedules or appendices of this Agreement;
- a reference to a person includes firms, companies, government entities, trusts and partnerships;
- 'including' is understood to mean 'including without limitation';
- reference to any statutory provision includes any modification or amendment of it; and
- the headings and sub-headings do not form part of this Agreement.
Grant
- The Licensor grants the Licensee licence to use the Mark in the Territory on and in relation to the Licensed Products, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
- Any goodwill derived from the use by the Licensee of the Mark shall accrue to the Licensor. The Licensor may, at any time, call for a document confirming the assignment of that goodwill and the Licensee shall immediately execute it.
- The Licensed Products are licensed and not sold. Accordingly, all rights not expressly granted in this Agreement are expressly reserved by the Licensor.
- The Licensor reserves the right to use and to license others to use the Mark in the Territory.
Term
- This Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date and unless terminated earlier (in accordance with the clause below entitled "Termination"), shall continue in full force and effect for a period of year (the Term).
Title to the Mark and Goodwill
- The Licensor has exclusive title to and ownership of the Mark and the Licensee shall not claim any right, title or interest in the Mark or any part of it other than that granted under this Agreement.
- The Licensee shall not during the term of this Agreement, or at any future time:
- apply to register the Mark or any derivative of the Mark;
- assign any rights granted to it under this Agreement or grant any sub-licence to any third party without the prior written consent of the Licensor;
- do anything which shall or may impair, damage or be detrimental to the reputation or goodwill associated with the Licensor or the Mark; and
- unless specifically authorised to do so by the Licensor, hold itself out as acting for or on behalf of the Licensor or as being an agent or representative of the Licensor.
Use
- This Agreement shall not entitle the Licensee to use any of the Marks for any purpose other than performing its obligations in connection with this Agreement.
- All Licensed Products manufactured, sold or otherwise distributed in the Territory will carry the Mark.
Quality Control
- The Licensee shall comply with the specifications, standards and directions relating to the Licensed Products, including their manufacture, promotion, distribution and sale, as notified in writing by the Licensor from time to time.
- The Licensee shall ensure that each Licensed Product sold or otherwise supplied by the Licensee complies with all applicable laws, regulations, industry standards and codes of practice.
- Samples of all packaging, advertising and promotional materials to which the Mark is applied (Materials) shall be submitted to the Licensor for its approval prior to being used.
- Upon the Licensor's request, the Licensee shall promptly supply to the Licensor a reasonable number of random samples of the Licensed Products and Materials and permit representatives of the Licensor to attend any premises where Licensed Products are manufactured or stored for the purpose of verifying that the terms of this Agreement are being respected.
- All Licensed Products sold by the Licensee and all related quotations, specifications and descriptive literature and all other materials carrying the Mark will be marked with:
"Made by under licence from . This is the registered trade mark of ."
Infringement
- The Licensee shall inform the Licensor immediately of any suspected unauthorised use of the Mark (or any confusingly similar mark) (Trade Mark Infringement) of which it becomes aware and shall provide the Licensor with such documents, information and assistance as it can in relation to any such use.
- The Licensor shall have the exclusive right (but is not obliged) to take action against or to settle with such third party in relation to Trade Mark Infringement at the Licensor's cost and expense.
- The Licensor shall be entitled to all proceeds resulting from such Trade Mark Infringement action, including any settlement sums, after reimbursing the Licensee for any reasonable expenses incurred in assisting it in such action.
- The Licensee shall not be entitled to bring any proceedings for infringement under section 30 of the Trade Marks Act 1994 or equivalent provisions anywhere in the world.
Infringement of Third Party Rights
- The Licensor gives no warranty and makes no representation that the use of the Mark, nor the manufacture, use, sale or other dealing in any of the Licensed Products, does not or will not infringe the rights of others.
- If any notice of infringement or other notification is received by the Licensee, or any other action or claim is brought against the Licensee alleging infringement of third party rights in connection with the manufacture, promotion, distribution or sale of any Licensed Product, the Licensee shall:
- promptly provide full details to the Licensor;
- at the Licensor's request and expense, allow the Licensor complete control over any such proceedings or settlement; and
- provide the Licensor with all information and assistance as reasonably requested by the Licensor.
- Subject to the clause above, if any demand, claim or proceedings are brought against the Licensee alleging that the exercise by the Licensee of any licences granted to it under this Agreement infringes any intellectual property rights belonging to a third party in the Territory, the Licensor shall indemnify the Licensee against all losses, damages, liabilities and costs (including legal fees) and expenses incurred by the Licensee as a result of such demands, claims or proceedings.
Warranties
- Each party warrants that it has full power and authority to carry out the actions under this Agreement.
- The Licensor warrants and represents that as at the date of this Agreement:
- it is the sole legal and beneficial owner of the Mark; and
- it is entitled to grant the Licensee the licenses contained in this Agreement.
- The Licensor warrants that the Mark is not, to the best of the Licensor's knowledge and belief, the subject of any current actual or threatened challenge, claim or proceedings.
- The Licensee warrants and represents that it will use its best efforts to promote, market, sell and distribute the Licensed Products.
Indemnities
- The Licensor shall indemnify the Licensee against any proven damages that are awarded to any third party in respect of any Trade Mark Infringement, provided that the Licensee complies with the conditions set out above.
- The Licensee shall indemnify the Licensor from and against any losses, damages, liability, costs (including legal fees) and expenses incurred by the Licensor as a result of or in connection with any action, demand or claim in connection with:
- the Licensee's exercise of its rights under this Agreement; and
- the Licensee's breach of this Agreement (including any product liability claims relating to the Licensed Products used, manufactured or supplied by the Licensee).
Limitation of Liability
- The extent of the parties' liability under or in connection with this Agreement (regardless of whether such liability arises in tort, contract or in any way and whether or not caused by negligence or misrepresentation) shall be set out in this clause.
- Nothing in this Agreement limits or excludes either party's liability for:
- death or personal injury caused by negligence;
- fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation;
- any other losses which cannot be excluded or limited by applicable law.
- Subject to the above clause and the clause above (Indemnities), neither party shall have any liability to the other party, whether in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise, arising under or in connection with this Agreement for:
- loss of profits;
- loss of business;
- loss of opportunity;
- loss of or damage to goodwill;
- any indirect or consequential loss.
- Subject to the clause above (Indemnities), the total liability of either party for any other loss of the other party in respect of any one event or series of connected events shall not exceed £.
Insurance
- During this Agreement, the parties shall each maintain in force with a reputable insurance company, insurance sufficient to indemnify risks for which they may be responsible, including for their respective sub-contractors, agents and employees.
- The parties shall, on either party's request, produce both the insurance certificate giving details of the cover and receipt for the current year's premium.
Confidentiality
- Each party will only use Confidential Information to perform its obligations under the Agreement and will not cause or allow the information to be disclosed except:
- where required by law, court order or any governmental or regulatory body;
- to any of its employees, officers, sub-contractors, representatives or advisers who need to know the information in order to discharge its obligations under the Agreement and agree only to use the information for that purpose and not to cause or allow disclosure of that information;
- where the information has become generally available to the public (other than as a result of disclosure in breach of the Agreement by the party or any of its employees, officers, sub-contractors, representatives or advisers);
- where the information was available or known to it on a non-confidential basis before being disclosed under the Agreement; or
- where the information was developed by or for it independently of the Agreement and is received by persons who are not the disclosing party.
Termination
- In any event, either party may terminate this Agreement by giving a minimum of notice in writing to the other party.
- A party may terminate this Agreement at any time by giving notice in writing to the other party if:
- the other party fails to pay any amount due under this Agreement on the due date and such amount remains unpaid within after the other party has received notification that the payment is overdue;
- the other party commits a material breach of the Agreement, which if capable of remedy, it fails to remedy within 30 days after being given written notice specifying full particulars of the breach and requiring it to be remedied;
- the other party persistently breaches any term of the Agreement;
- the other party is dissolved, ceases to conduct substantially all of its business or becomes unable to pay its debts as they fall due;
- the other party is a company over any of whose assets or property a receiver is appointed;
- the other party makes any voluntary arrangement with its creditors or (if a company), becomes subject to an administration order (within the meaning of the Insolvency Act 1986);
- (an individual or firm), has a bankruptcy order made against it or (if a company) goes into liquidation;
- the other party undergoes a change in control (within the meaning of section 1124 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010); or
- (an individual) dies or as a result of illness or incapacity becomes incapable of managing their own affairs.
Consequences of Termination
- On termination or expiry of this Agreement:
- each party shall within 7 days return or destroy (at the other party's option) all of the other party's Confidential Information in its possession or under its control and all copies of such information;
- the Licensee shall immediately cease using the Mark and remove all references to the Mark on its premises, vehicles, business documents or other documents or materials of any nature;
- the Licensee shall promptly return to the Licensor at the Licensee's expense all records and copies of materials provided to the Licensee by the Licensor as a result of this Agreement
General
- This Agreement contains the whole agreement between the parties relating to its subject matter and supersedes all prior discussions, arrangements or agreements that might have taken place in relation to the Agreement. Nothing in this clause limits or excludes any liability for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.
- No party may assign, transfer or sub-contract to any third party and the benefit and/or burden of the Agreement without the prior written consent (not to be unreasonably withheld) of the other party.
- No variation of the Agreement will be valid or binding unless it is recorded in writing and signed by or on behalf of both parties.
- The Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 does not apply to the Agreement and no third party has any right to enforce or rely on any provision of the Agreement.
- Unless otherwise agreed, no delay, act or omission by a party in exercising any right or remedy will be deemed a waiver of that, or any other right or remedy.
- A provision which by its intent or terms is meant to survive the termination of the Agreement will do so.
- If any court or competent authority finds that any provision (or part) of the Agreement is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that provision or part-provision will, to the extent required, be deemed to be deleted, and the validity and enforceability of the other provisions of the Agreement will not be affected.
- Unless specifically provided by the parties, nothing in the Agreement will establish any employment relationship, partnership or joint venture between the parties, or mean that one party becomes the agent of the other party, nor does the Agreement authorise any party to enter into any commitments for or on behalf of the other party.
- Any notice (other than in legal proceedings) to be delivered under the Agreement must be in writing and delivered by pre-paid first class post to or left by hand delivery at the other party's registered address or place of business, or sent by email to the other party's main business email address as notified to the sending party. Notices:
- sent by post will be deemed to have been received, where posted from and to addresses in the United Kingdom, on the second Working Day and, where posted from or to the addresses outside of the United Kingdom, on the tenth Working Day following the date of posting;
- delivered by hand will be deemed to have been received at the time the notice is left at the proper address; and
- sent by email will be deemed to have been received on the next Working Day after sending.
Governing Law and Jurisdiction
- This Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted according to the law of England and Wales and all disputes arising under this Agreement (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English and Welsh courts.
The parties have signed this Agreement on the date(s) below.
and
Schedule 1 - The Mark
Registration Number
Date of Registration
Territory
Classes and Specification
- - .
Schedule 2 - Licensed Products
The Licensed Products
The Licensed Products on and in respect of which the Mark may be used are as follows:
Licensed Products and Licensed Product Requirements
- __________ - __________.
For the avoidance of doubt, the Mark may not be used on or in respect of any goods and services other than the Licensed Products or otherwise than in accordance with this Agreement, unless agreed by the Licensor in writing.
About Trade Mark Licence Agreements
Learn more about making your Trade Mark Licence Agreement
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How to make a Trade Mark Licence Agreement
Making your Trade Mark Licence Agreement online is simple. Just answer a few questions and Rocket Lawyer will build your document for you. When you have all the information about the trade mark and the intended licence prepared in advance, creating your document is a quick and easy process.
You’ll need the following information:
The licensor and the licensee
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What is the licensor’s name, address, and legal structure? If it’s a company, what is its company number?
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Who is the licensor’s signatory, if it’s a company or a partnership? This is the person who will sign the Agreement on the company’s or partnership’s behalf.
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What is the licensee’s name, address, and legal structure? If it’s a company, what’s its company number?
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Who is the licensee’s signatory, if it’s a company or a partnership?
The trade mark
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Is the mark represented on the trade mark register as text, a graphic (eg an image), or by a description?
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If text, what is the trade marked text?
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If as a graphic, how can the graphical representation be described?
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If by description, what is the description that’s entered in the register?
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What is the trade mark’s registration number?
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On which date was it registered?
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In which territory is the trade mark registered (ie in which country)?
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What class is the trade mark registered under?
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What’s the relevant specification of goods/services (ie a description of the goods/services the mark is registered for use for)?
Use of the trade mark
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What products (ie goods and/or services) will the trade mark be used on? You’ll need to set out a product specification (ie description).
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What are the minimum quality requirements for each specified product?
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Are there any brand guidelines for how the trade mark should be used under the Trade Mark Licence?
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Are you creating a sole, exclusive, or non-exclusive licence?
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How long will the Licence last for?
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How will the Trade Mark Licence be paid for? By royalties or a one-off licence fee?
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If a licence fee, what is the amount?
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If a royalty, what percentage of net sales of licensed products must be paid as royalties?
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The Licence Agreement
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When will the Licence Agreement start?
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What limit will you set on either party’s liabilities to the other in case of losses caused in relation to this Agreement?
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What length of notice can either party give to end the Agreement?
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If a payment (eg a royalty payment) is overdue, after how many days of it being overdue may the other party end the Agreement?
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If either party is based in Scotland, will the Agreement be governed by the laws of England and Wales or the laws of Scotland?
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Common terms in a Trade Mark Licence Agreement
Trade Mark Licence Agreements set out the terms for the grant of a licence to use a trade mark in a specified way. To do this, this Trade Mark Licence Agreement template includes sections headed:
Parties
The Agreement starts by clearly identifying the licensor (ie the party giving the other permission to use their trade mark) and the licensee (ie the party being granted the Trade Mark Licence). These are the parties to this transaction.
Background
This section sets out the key purposes of the Agreement by stating that the licensor owns the trade mark and that they agree to grant the licensee a licence to use their trade mark in a given territory, subject to the terms of this Agreement.
Meanings
This definition table assigns specific meanings to key terms used throughout the Agreement. When these terms (eg ‘Brand Guidelines’, ‘Licensed Products’ or ‘Mark’) are used capitalised throughout the Agreement, they carry the meaning they’re given in this table.
Grant
It is in this section that the licensor sets out the grant of the licence to the licensee. It sets out whether a sole, exclusive, or non-exclusive Trade Mark Licence is being created and notes that all goodwill (eg positive sentiment towards the brand’s products) developed as a result of the licensee’s use of the trade mark belongs to the licensor.
Term
This section specifies when the Agreement will begin, by reference to the definition table, and how long it will last for.
Title to the mark and goodwill
This section starts by clarifying that the licensor owns the trade mark - this Agreement does not transfer ownership of the trade mark. It clarifies that the licensee may not do various things associated with ownership of the trade mark (eg attempt to register it somewhere). It also states that the licensee must not do anything that would damage any goodwill associated with the mark or with the licensor.
Use
This section limits the licensee’s use of the trade mark to that specified in the Agreement (ie on the specified products). It also requires that the licensee abides by the brand guidelines, if applicable.
Licence fee
If payment for the Trade Mark Licence will be made only once (ie as a licence fee), information about this fee will be set out here. For example, the amount due, how it should be paid, and the interest that must be paid on the fee if it’s overdue.
Royalties
If payment for the Trade Mark Licence will be made regularly via royalties, information about royalty payments will be set out here. The section will specify, for example, the percentage of net profits made on sales of licensed products that must be paid as royalties, how royalty payments should be made, and the interest that must be paid if payments are overdue.
This section also sets out the licensee’s obligation to provide a written royalty statement to the licensor for each royalty period (ie each quarter).
Quality control
This section sets out requirements that the licensee must abide by relevant to how licensed products (ie those using the trade mark) should be created. For example, they should comply with relevant laws and with specifications and similar provided by the licensor.
Moreover, the licensee must submit packaging and marketing materials and similar to the licensor for approval before use. They should also provide random samples of products to the licensor if requested. Products must contain specified wording that identifies them as made under licence from the licensor and which identifies the licensor as the owner of the trade mark.
Infringement
This section sets out the licensees’ obligations to inform the licensor if they’re aware of any infringements. It also sets out the licensor’s rights related to infringement of the licensor’s intellectual property rights in the trade mark. For example, they are entitled to the proceeds of any relevant infringement actions (ie legal cases).
Infringement of third party rights
This section deals with what happens if a third party (ie somebody other than the licensee and licensor) claims that the licensee’s use of the trade mark is infringing their IPRs. Essentially, the section states that:
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the licensor does not give the licensee a warranty that this will not occur. This is intended to prevent the licensee from starting a legal claim against the licensor for breach of this Agreement if a third party starts an action against them for breach of the third party’s IPRs
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the licensor indemnifies the licensee against (ie promises to pay for) any losses due to such third party legal claims being made against the licensee
Warranties
Both parties make certain warranties (ie promises) relevant to the Agreement in this section. For example, the licensor warrants that they are the only owner of the trade mark and are entitled to grant the licence, and the licensee promises that it will use its best efforts to sell the licensed products.
Indemnities
This section contains two indemnities (ie promises to cover the costs of any relevant losses):
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from the licensor to the licensee, regarding any third-party claims for trade mark infringement
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from the licensee to the licensor, regarding legal claims related to the licensee’s use of the trade mark under this Agreement or to breaches of the Agreement
Limitation of liability
This section sets a limit on the amount that either party must pay the other if they cause that party losses related to this Agreement (eg by breaching a term of the Agreement in some way). The limitation of liability is qualified by various exceptions, largely in order to comply with relevant laws. For example, neither party limits liability for death or personal injury caused by their negligence.
Insurance
This section imposes an obligation on both parties to maintain appropriate insurance during the period of the Agreement (eg enough to indemnify them against various relevant risks).
Confidentiality
Both parties are prevented from disclosing the other’s confidential information in this section, unless an exception applies (eg if required by law or if the information has already become generally available to the public).
Termination
Firstly, this section allows either party to end the Agreement by giving a specified amount of notice (eg 4 weeks).
Secondly, it sets out various situations in which either party may end the Agreement without needing to give the specified notice. For example, if the other party doesn’t pay a fee due under the Agreement for a specified period, becomes insolvent or bankrupt, or commits a material (ie serious) breach or persistent breaches of the Agreement.
Consequences of termination
This section sets out what must happen when the Agreement ends. For example, the licensee must stop using the trade mark and both parties should destroy any of each other’s confidential information that they hold.
General
This section deals with various other points of law that govern how this Agreement operates. For example:
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stating that this agreement is the entire Agreement, ie the Agreement contains all of the Agreement between the licensor and the licensee (ie there are no additional terms). This helps avoid confusion if, for instance, other terms were in contemplation during negotiations
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restricting how either party may deal with the Agreement (eg preventing them from assigning their rights under the Agreement to others without permission)
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requiring that any variations to the Agreement are made in writing
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excluding the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 or the Contract (Third Party Rights) (Scotland) Act 2017. This essentially means that third parties (ie not the licensor or the licensee) that would otherwise be able to enforce obligations under this Agreement under the Act cannot do so
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setting out how any notices or other similar communications that must be given under the Agreement should be delivered
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clarifying that the Agreement does not create a partnership, a joint venture, an employment relationship, or an agency relationship between the licensor and licensee
Governing law and jurisdiction
This section sets out which country’s legal system must be used to resolve any disputes (ie the Agreement’s ‘jurisdiction’). This is necessary as the legal systems of England and Wales and of Scotland are different.
The parties have signed this Agreement on the dates below…
The Agreement provides spaces for both the licensee and licensor to sign and date the Agreement to make it legally binding.
Schedule 1 - The Mark
This schedule sets out the information required to identify the trade mark being licensed. This includes descriptions of or the text of the mark, where appropriate, and its registration number and date of registration.
It also sets out the trade mark’s registration class and the specification of the goods/services it is registered for use on.
This is also where a graphical representation of the trade mark (eg drawings) should be attached, if relevant.
Schedule 2 - Licensed Products
This schedule sets out which products the licensee may use the trade mark on, alongside any quality requirements for a given use.
If you want your Trade Mark Licence Agreement to include further or more detailed provisions, you can edit your document. However, if you do this, you may want a lawyer to review the document for you (or to make the changes for you) to make sure that your modified Trade Mark Licence Agreement complies with all relevant laws and meets your specific needs. Use Rocket Lawyer’s Ask a lawyer service for assistance.
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Legal tips for licensors and licensees
Make sure you clearly identify the trade mark
It’s important that you clearly and accurately describe the trade mark that’s being licensed under the Agreement. You should provide precise written descriptions that include all relevant details. Where necessary, you should provide clear supporting documents (eg drawings or examples of the works or products that contain the trade mark). You should make sure that these match what’s entered on the trade mark register, where relevant. Similarly, make sure you clearly set out exactly which products the Trade Mark Licence Agreement will allow the mark to be used on.
Ensuring that the trade mark can be clearly identified prevents disputes from arising down the line if, for example, the parties realise that they disagree over exactly what constitutes the trade mark or the products it can be used for.
Understand when to seek advice from a lawyer
In some circumstances, it’s good practice to Ask a lawyer for advice to ensure that you’re complying with the law and that you are well protected from risks. You should consider asking for advice if:
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you want to include bespoke terms in your Trade Mark Licence
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you think you may need to abide by any special registration requirements
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there is more than one licensor or more than one licensee
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you want to licence other IP rights, for example, copyrights or patents
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Trade Mark Licence Agreement FAQs
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What’s included in a Trade Mark Licence Agreement?
This Trade Mark Licence Agreement template covers:
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whether an exclusive, non-exclusive or sole licence is being created
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the trade mark’s permitted use under the licence
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provisions related to the infringement of intellectual property (IP)
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quality control
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warranties
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termination (ie how the Agreement can be ended)
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Why do I need a Trade Mark Licence Agreement?
You will usually need a Trade Mark Licence Agreement if you want to formally allow another company or individual to use your trade mark on their goods or services. This Licence makes it clear what the licensee's rights and obligations are and what fee is payable, ensuring you’re legally protected when you allow someone to use your IP.
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What is a trade mark?
Trade marks are signs that distinguish the goods and/or services of a particular business from those of other businesses. For example, logos, images, shapes, slogans, and even colours or smells that are associated with the business. Trade marks are a type of intellectual property (IP). The intellectual property rights (IPRs) in the trade mark will be owned by somebody. Trade marks can be registered to ensure they receive greater protection from infringement (ie unauthorised use) by other businesses.
For more information, read Trade marks and passing off.
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How is the licensee charged for their use of the trade mark?
This Agreement allows the licensor to either charge the licensee:
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a single payment (ie a licence fee), or
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a royalty percentage based on the licensee's net sales of licensed products (ie their products that use the licensed trade mark)
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What's the difference between a single licence fee and a royalty?
A royalty is a recurring payment made to an owner or licensor of a trade mark in exchange for ongoing use of their IP. If the licensee under this Agreement is to pay a royalty, they will pay a share of relevant revenue to the licensor in exchange for the use of the trade mark to market or sell the licensee’s products or services.
A licence fee is usually a one-off payment that’s made upfront to the licensor, in exchange for the licensee being given permission to use the trade mark.
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Can I use this Agreement for an unregistered trade mark?
This Trade Mark Licence Agreement is created specifically for registered trade marks only.
If you want to create a licence for a trade mark that’s currently unregistered, consider either registering the trade mark (you can use our Trade mark registration service if you need help) or Asking a lawyer for assistance creating a licence agreement for your unregistered trade mark.
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Can I use this Agreement to licence more than one trade mark?
This Licence Agreement is designed to be used to grant a licence to use one registered trade mark. If you want to create a licence that grants somebody permission to use more than one trade mark that you own, create multiple separate Licence Agreements or Ask a lawyer for assistance creating one Agreement for multiple trade marks.
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What are exclusive, sole, and non-exclusive licences?
When a sole licence is granted, the licensee under that licence is the only person granted a licence to use the trade mark. They and the licensor are the only parties who may use the trade mark.
When an exclusive licence is granted, only the licensee under that licence may use the trade mark. The licensor cannot use the trade mark.
If a non-exclusive licence is granted, anybody who has been granted a licence to use the trade mark (and the licensor) may use it.
You can use this Licence Agreement template to create any of these types of licences for your trade mark.
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What if I want to sell my trade mark?
If you want to sell (ie ‘transfer’ or ‘assign’) your trade mark, you will need to create an IP assignment, which will transfer your rights, title, and interests in the relevant IP outright.
For more information, read Trade marks and passing off. You can use our Assignment of intellectual property document to sell your trade mark.
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