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Contracting/Licensing Obstacles & Pitfalls: Know Before You Sign

This guide by Mark E. Stallion provides insights into the nature of licensing deals, allocation of risk and profit, alternatives to licensing, and common obstacles and pitfalls such as joint ownership, technology intermingling, grant clauses, exclusivity, mergers and acquisitions, representations and warranties, patent exhaustion, sublicenses, royalty-based licenses, negotiations, and trademark quality control.

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Contracting/Licensing Obstacles & Pitfalls: Know Before You Sign

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  1. Customer Contracting/LicensingObstacles & Pitfalls By: Mark E. StallionContact Info (314.345.6223/Mark.Stallion@HuschBlackwell.com)

  2. IntroductionWhat Should I Know • What’s The Nature Of The Deal ? • Who Is Bringing What To The Table ? • Who Is Taking What Risk ? • Who Stands To Profit The Most ? • If No License - What Are The Alternatives ? • What to Watch ? • Grant Clause; Limitations On Use; Term & Termination; Royalties/Fixed Fees; Reporting/Accounting Requirements; Quality Control; Indemnification; Reps & Warranties; Confidentiality; Dispute Resolution

  3. Licensing Obstacles • JOINT OWNERSHIP • a. Exploitation Of Patented Technology In U.S. • i. Each joint owner can exploit without permission of others • ii. No duty to share royalties • b. Enforcement In U.S. • i. Usually All joint owners must join suit • ii. Other owners can grant license thereby circumventing suit • b. Possible Solution (1) Contractual Allocation (2) Assignment w/ License Back

  4. Licensing Obstacles • Technology (Products; Processes or Know-How) Intermingled w/ Intellectual Property Rights (Legal Rights = Patent, Trademark, etc..) • If “Technology” defined as “Product/Deliverable” + Patents; Then A “Grant To Practice Technology” gives right to practice patents independent of product/deliverable • If Non-Infringement Guarantee given; Then Protects Licensee’s own implementations under patent unrelated to the product/deliverable Possible Solution: Clearly Segregate Definition & Grant Clauses

  5. Licensing Pitfalls • Grant Clause Does Not Convey What Was Intended • Assignment – Must be in writing; transfer “entire right, title and interest” • Problems – Limitations On Use; Limitations On Right To Assign or License; etc… • Exclusive License - Must have beneficial ownership of right to prevent others from making/using/selling (exclusivity can be – geographic, field of use, or temporal) • Avoid ambiguity – Exclusive even as to licensor? – Be Explicit • Non - Exclusive License

  6. Licensing Pitfalls • Lack Of Planning For Mergers, Acquisitions, Etc... • Make sure ability to transfer is clear and under what conditions • Plan for Potential Bankruptcy • If Licensor does not want to accept performance from another party in the case of licensee bankrupt – Licensor should specify in case of bankruptcy, the license is personal and performance by another is not acceptable.

  7. Licensing Pitfalls • Representations, Warranties & Indemnification • Technology Licenses – Performance To Specs (have detailed specifications) • Non-Infringement – Indemnification (be specific and provide specific remedies) • No Encumbrances (licenses, security interests, etc…) • In case of IP rights – will maintain rights

  8. Licensing Pitfalls • Patent Exhaustion/First Sale Doctrine • Authorized sale of product made under patent license exhausts the patent rights against downstream users • Applies to both device and method claims • If product made/sold under license to patent A also “substantially embodies” patent B (Same Owner), then B exhausted too Avoiding Exhaustion: License, don’t sell; make and use only – not resell

  9. Licensing Pitfalls • Sublicenses • Sublicense should be no broader than Licensee’s rights • Be specific regarding termination of sublicense upon termination of primary license • If sublicensing is allowed – require notification and providing copy of sublicense • Avoid automatic renewal of sublicenses base on automatic renewal of primary license

  10. Licensing Pitfalls • Royalty Based Licenses • Provisions for on-site hands on accounting • Specific and Periodic Reporting requirements • Easier to base royalty on selling price rather than calculation based on net profit • If sublicenses are involved – easier to used fixed fee per unit rather than percent royalty • When accounting watch out for (packaged sales; non-sale transfer of goods such as payment in kind deals; using sales price from parent to subsidiary rather than price to user)

  11. Licensing Pitfalls • NEGOTIATIONS • Counsel – Get appropriate counsel involved early at the term sheet stage • Term Sheet Stage – Try to resolve most of the major issues at the term sheet stage • Negotiation Stage – Understand the overall nature of the deal and negotiate issues collectively; Have a clear objective; Understand your alternatives going in and be prepared to walk away from a bad deal; Understand the value to you and avoid bidding with no basis • Soft Cease & Desist w/ Offer For License – can give cause for DJ action

  12. Licensing Pitfalls • Trademark Licenses – Quality Control • A licensor must exercise quality control, otherwise it is a “naked license”, which may result in trademark abandonment Best Practices: • Include in your trademark licenses a quality control provision that: Sets forth the quality standard (e.g., quality of products or services must be at least as high as licensor’s products or services); Grants licensor the right to inspect the Licensee’s products/services and facilities; and Imposes strict trademark usage guidelines • Not Over-Reaching - Too much control over licensee increases licensor’s exposure to products liability claims and to regulation as a franchise

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