What happens to IP?
Taking a licence to intellectual property (IP) gives your new company the rights it needs to share your research idea with the world. Our licensing model aims to keep things moving and make sure everyone is rewarded fairly.
Licensing IP to your spinout
When a spinout is formed, the company – not the researcher – needs the legal right to use University-owned IP. Oxford University Innovation (OUI) grants this right through a licence, designed to give your new company the rights it needs to develop its products and services and protect it against competitors.
To help spinouts move quickly and secure investment without lengthy negotiations, the company can opt for a standardised licensing model (the ‘Express licence’) or can discuss a bespoke licence with OUI.
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Most equity investment-backed spinouts choose our express licence which offers standard, non-negotiable, legal terms and favourable financial terms.
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An express licence won’t be right for every spinout. If, for example, you’re planning to receive non-equity investment, or you’ve received only modest investment to date, there are other options:
- A fully-negotiable exploitation licence – which allows you to continue developing your IP and then take it to market
- A development licence with an option for an exploitation licence – which gives your company up to two years to test, develop or validate the IP before converting your development licence into an exploitation licence
