A patent, trademark, or copyright is only as valuable as the agreement that governs who can use it and how. Katalyst IP structures the licensing deals that turn IP into revenue, leads due diligence when IP changes hands in a deal, and helps businesses navigate the ownership questions that AI tools are raising for the first time.
Katalyst IP works with companies licensing out technology, acquiring a competitor, or raising a funding round where IP ownership will get scrutinized before the money moves.
We structure, draft, and negotiate the agreements that let you monetize IP without giving it away, including technology transfer agreements, SaaS licensing terms, brand licensing deals, and joint development agreements between companies collaborating on new IP. The difference between an exclusive and non-exclusive license, and how royalties, territory, and termination rights are defined, determines whether a licensing deal actually protects your business.
Before a merger, acquisition, or investment round closes, we audit the IP assets involved: what’s actually owned, what’s licensed from someone else, whether assignment histories are clean, and whether chain-of-title gaps exist that could undermine the deal’s value. IP due diligence gaps are one of the most common ways deals get repriced or delayed after the letter of intent is signed, and catching them early protects both sides of the transaction.
Artificial intelligence tools are raising IP questions that didn’t exist a few years ago: who owns content generated by an AI model, what open-source compliance actually requires when AI-assisted code is involved, and how automated workflows affect inventorship and authorship. We advise clients on data rights and IP ownership issues tied to AI adoption, staying current with USPTO guidance on AI-related IP policy as it develops.
Utah’s Silicon Slopes and Idaho’s expanding base of manufacturers and tech companies are both producing more licensing deals, acquisitions, and funding rounds every year, and IP is frequently the asset that gets the least scrutiny until it’s too late. Katalyst IP is licensed to practice in both states and works alongside the business attorneys, accountants, and investors already involved in your transaction.
We also support clients outside the region who need the same level of IP-specific deal experience. Explore our full IP service lineup, or see how licensing strategy connects to patent portfolio management for companies planning to license out technology they’ve patented.
An exclusive license means only the licensee can use the IP, even excluding the original owner in some cases, and typically commands a higher royalty. A non-exclusive license lets the owner grant the same rights to multiple parties.
The most common issues are unclear ownership of IP created by contractors or former employees, missing or incomplete assignment documents, and licenses that don’t transfer automatically to a new owner. Any of these can reduce a deal’s value or delay closing.
This depends on the tool’s terms of service, how much human creative input shaped the output, and current copyright law, which generally requires human authorship for protection. It’s an evolving area, and contracts should address it explicitly rather than assume an answer.
Yes. Without a written agreement, ownership of IP created jointly can become genuinely unclear, especially if the collaboration ends and both parties want to use what was developed.
It involves confirming what IP a business owns versus licenses, verifying a clean chain of title through assignment records, and identifying any pending disputes, expired registrations, or unrecorded transfers that could affect the deal.