Editing License (section)

{{Short description|Legal concept}}
{{Redirect|Licence|the historian|Tom Licence|the album by Aya Ueto|License (album)}}
{{for|Wikipedia's licensing policy|Wikipedia:Copyrights|selfref=y}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
[[File:Vertical California Drivers License.jpg|alt=A 2010 sample of a California driver's license, showing a fictitious young man named "Ricardo A. Sample"|thumb|Governments issue [[driver's license]]s to people who are allowed to drive [[motor vehicle]]s on [[Highway|public roads]].]]
A '''license''' ([[American English]]) or '''licence''' ([[Commonwealth English]]) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit).<ref name="cam">{{cite web |title=licence Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary |url=http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/licence?a=british |access-date=April 15, 2018 |website=dictionary.cambridge.org}}</ref>

A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreement between those parties. In the case of a license issued by a government, the license is obtained by applying for it. In the case of a private party, it is by a specific agreement, usually in writing (such as a [[lease]] or other contract).  The simplest definition is "A license is a promise not to sue", because a license usually either permits the licensed party to engage in an illegal activity, and subject to prosecution, without the license (e.g. [[Fishing license|fishing]], [[Driver's license|driving an automobile]], or operating a [[Broadcast license|broadcast radio or television station]]), or it permits the licensed party to do something that would violate the rights of the licensing party (e.g. make copies of a [[Copyright infringement|copyrighted work]]), which, without the license, the licensed party could be sued, civilly, criminally, or both.

In particular, a license may be issued by authorities, to allow an activity that would otherwise be forbidden. It may require paying a fee or proving a capability (or both). The requirement may also serve to keep the authorities informed on a type of activity, and to allow them to set conditions and limitations.

A licensor may grant a license under [[intellectual property]] laws to authorize a use (such as copying software or using a [[patent]]ed invention) to a licensee, sparing the licensee from a claim of [[Intellectual property infringement|infringement]] brought by the licensor.<ref>Intellectual Property Licensing:  Forms and Analysis, by [[Richard Raysman]], Edward A. Pisacreta and Kenneth A. Adler. Law Journal Press, 1999-2008. {{ISBN|978-1-58852-086-9}}</ref> A license under intellectual property commonly has several components beyond the grant itself, including a '''term''', '''territory''', '''renewal''' provisions, and other limitations deemed vital to the licensor.

'''Term:''' many licenses are valid for a particular length of time. This protects the licensor should the value of the license increase, or market conditions change. It also preserves enforceability by ensuring that no license extends beyond the term of the agreement.

'''Territory:''' a license may stipulate what territory the rights pertain to. For example, a license with a territory limited to "[[North America]]" (Mexico/United States/Canada) would not permit a licensee any protection from actions for use in [[Kyrgyzstan]].

Again, a shorthand definition of a license is "a promise by the licensor not to sue the licensee". That means without a license any use or exploitation of intellectual property by a third party would amount to copying or infringement. Such copying would be improper and could, by using the legal system, be stopped if the intellectual property owner wanted to do so.<ref>Licensing Intellectual Property: Law & Management, by [[Raman Mittal]]. Satyam Law International, New Delhi, India, 2011. {{ISBN|978-81-902883-4-7}}.</ref>

Intellectual property licensing plays a major role in business, academia and broadcasting. Business practices such as [[franchising]], [[technology transfer]], publication and [[Copyright protection for fictional characters|character merchandising]] entirely depend on the licensing of intellectual property. Land licensing (proprietary licensing) and IP licensing.