licensable

Licensable refers to property rights or other assets that a rights holder is legally able to license to others. An asset is licensable when the owner has the authority to grant permission to use, reproduce, modify, distribute, or otherwise exploit the asset under defined terms. Licensable assets include software, literary or artistic works, music, film, databases, inventions protected by patents, brands, know-how, and trade secrets. The term is commonly used in intellectual property law, publishing, software development, entertainment, and franchising.

A license is a contractual grant that specifies the rights granted, the scope of use, the duration, the geographic territory, and any exclusivity or restrictions. Licenses may be exclusive or non-exclusive, and may be licensed on a per-user, per-seat, per-unit, or royalty basis. Open licenses, such as permissive or copyleft licenses, are designed to allow broad reuse under specified conditions. Proprietary licenses typically grant more limited rights and may require payment or compliance obligations.

Key components of a license include the grant of rights, scope of use, term, territory, exclusivity, sublicensing rights, attribution requirements, compliance with applicable laws, quality control, audit rights, and termination provisions. Rights holders must consider controls to protect asset integrity and brand, potential liability, and revenue implications.

Examples include software licenses (MIT, Apache, GPL), music and image licensing, patent cross-licensing agreements, and brand licensing agreements. The licensability of an asset can change if ownership or rights are fragmented or if rights are exhausted by law.