Licensing
Can I license the same patent to multiple companies?
The short answer
Yes — that's non-exclusive licensing, and it's the largest deal type in the market at roughly 42%. Economic research even shows that licensors of significant innovations rationally license to multiple competing firms, because a market of licensees pays more than one.
The full picture
Multi-licensing works best when the market has several credible players, no single one will pay for exclusivity, and the technology spreads value across the industry rather than deciding a winner. Think standards-adjacent technology, manufacturing processes, and platform features.
The watch-outs: your first licensee's terms anchor every later negotiation, royalty collection multiplies in complexity, and licensees quietly watch each other for free-riding. Price the first deals deliberately — they set the market rate for everyone after. If you're weighing one exclusive bird against a flock of non-exclusives, the arithmetic is quick and often surprising.
Where does your patent stand?
The Beyond the Patent Commercialization Score answers that — a professional, factor-by-factor read on your patent's licensing, sale, build, and partner potential.
Related questions
General information for patent owners — not legal advice. Read the disclaimer.