blink0506,

 

it certainly is possible. you are inquiring about what's referred to as a, "non-exclusive license".

 

depending upon what you're licensing, it may be easier or harder to nail licenses with multiple parties under a non-exclusive licensing approach. one thing to take into account, you typically will have a harder time getting any upfront payment or advance against royalties if you're going the non-exclusive route.

 

either way, you have to have a protected or protectable asset, otherwise they likely won't place much value on what you have. forms of protection include patents, trade secrets, trademarks, and unique access to what you intend to license (or components within it).

 

to create "partial" exclusivity, you can do creative things like, carve out certain geographies for certain licensees, and you can put an "exclusive" for a time period as well, which would eventually expire, reverting to a non-exclusive scenario.

 

is this helpful?

 

who else has a comment on this?

 

Rich

Rich,

Great article - thanks! I have a product that will be "industrial" in nature, ie, heavy, large, a combination of materials: metal, plastic, leather.  I'm thinking the best course to take will be a provisional patent and in that year, make a home-made prototype and market for licensing in hopes I get a deal before the year is up. Also, can you discuss how to get to the right people in a company for licensing?

Thanks, Nan