Benjamin's Licence

Intellectual Property: Free Licence for Climate Purposes

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments by an intellectual property rights (IPR) holder to make available certain IPR for the research and development of third party commercial solutions to minimise climate change.

Jurisdiction: England & Wales
Updated:

What this clause does

Licenses intellectual property rights for climate and environmental related purposes. 

Recitals

[Insert background statement on the Licensor’s commitment to make certain of its technology and information protected by intellectual property rights available on the terms of this Climate Solutions IPR Licence to allow the Licensee to use such technology and information for the sole purpose of researching and developing commercial solutions which seek to minimise the impact of climate change or otherwise achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.]

Clauses

1. Grant

1.1. Subject to and conditioned on the Licensee's compliance with these terms and conditions, the Licensor hereby grants to the Licensee a non-exclusive, royalty-free, non-transferable, worldwide, fully paid-up licence under the Licensed IPR to use the Climate Technology during the Term solely for the Purpose.

1.2. The Licensee shall not, save with the prior written consent of the Licensor:

1.2.1. grant any sub-license under the license granted in clause 1.1 to any third party (save where necessary to enable the Licensee to commercially exploit the Licensee Climate IPR);      

1.2.2. transfer the Licence to any third party; or

1.2.3. use the Climate Technology in the Restricted Fields.

1.3. No right or licence is granted to the Licensee, by implication, estoppel, or otherwise, except as expressly stated in clause 1.1.

2. IPR

2.1. This Licence does not transfer ownership of any IPR between the parties. 

2.2. The Licensee shall make the Licensee Climate IPR available to any third party who wishes to use it for the Purpose on substantially similar terms to this Licence.

2.3. Where the Licensee and the Licensor, both acting reasonably, agree that the Licensor and/or the Licensed IPR has made a substantial contribution towards the conception, creation, development, making or production of any element of the Licensee Climate IPR which has a significant commercial application or value for the Licensee, the Licensee shall, with the prior written approval of an authorised representative of the Licensor, recognise such contribution by way of an attribution in a form approved by the Licensor in a publicly visible medium (for example, an acknowledgement on the Licensee’s website or other promotional material).

3. Warranties and Disclaimer

3.1. The Licensor warrants that it has the right to license the Licensed IPR on the terms of this Licence. 

3.2. The Licensor shall have no liability to the Licensee in relation to the Climate Technology or the Licensed IPR other than in accordance with the terms of this Licence. 

3.3. The Licensee shall: 

3.3.1. use [all] reasonable efforts to Use the Climate Technology during the Term for the Purpose;

3.3.2. comply with all applicable laws and regulations in relation to this Licence and the use of the Climate Technology; and

3.3.3. Use the Climate Technology only for the Purpose. 

3.4. [The Licensee shall indemnify the Licensor against any loss suffered or incurred by the Licensor arising out of or in connection with its use of the Climate Technology or exercise of its rights under the Licensed IPR in breach of the terms of this Licence.]

4. Reporting

4.1. The Licensee shall update the Licensor annually (in writing) on (i) the activities it has undertaken within the preceding twelve (12) months, and (ii) those activities that are planned to be undertaken within the subsequent twelve (12) months to Use the Climate Technology [for the Purpose] during the Term (the Annual Update), including providing information reasonably specified by the Licensor that is needed for the Licensor’s ESG reporting.

4.2. The Licensor may publish extracts from the Annual Update for the purposes of its ESG reporting provided such extracts do not contain any information about the Licensee’s Use of the Climate Technology which the Licensee (acting reasonably) has designated as commercially sensitive.

5. Charitable donation

5.1. The Licensee shall donate an [£[X] / amount equal to [●]% of its Net Profits] in each financial year during the Term to such charities which set as [one of] their primary aim[s] (i) the reduction of the impact of Climate Change, and/or (ii) the achievement of the goals of the Paris Agreement, as may be designated by the Licensor in writing from time to time.

 

Schedule

Licensed IPR

[Insert description of Licensed IPR]

Definitions

Climate Change means a change in the state of the climate that can be identified [and that persists for an extended period of time/decades] and where the change is caused directly or indirectly by [(i)] human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere [or (ii) natural processes, including volcanic eruptions and changes of solar cycles]. Examples of identifiable features of Climate Change include (but are not limited to) major changes in temperature, precipitation or wind patterns as well as changes in the risk of severe weather events occurring.

Climate Technology means all know-how, technology, inventions, data, and technical or scientific information [and related documentation] owned by the Licensor and relating to Climate Change, including those items described or identified in the Schedule.

ESG means frameworks, objectives, policies, standards and strategies related to environmental, social and governance concerns.

IPR means any intellectual property rights other than trademarks, including: patents, copyrights, rights in computer software, design rights, rights in confidential information (including, know-how, trade secrets) and database rights, in each case whether registered or unregistered, wherever in the world arising or existing from time to time.

Licence means the licence granted pursuant to clause 1.1 on the terms and conditions set out herein.

Licensed IPR means the IPR described or identified in the Schedule [(as updated from time to time during the Term by agreement in writing between the Licensee and the Licensor)].

Licensee Climate IPR means any IPR conceived, created, developed, made, and/or produced by or on behalf of the Licensee as a result of its Use of the Climate Technology [for the Purpose] in connection with this Licence, excluding the Licensed IPR. [For the avoidance of doubt, the Licensee Climate IPR shall not include any IPR owned by the Licensee which came into existence prior to the commencement of the Term of this Licence.]     

[Net Profits means the net profits of the Licensee for the relevant financial year arising from (i) the sale by the Licensee of products or services which incorporate or embody any Licensee Climate IPR, or (ii) any other application of the Licensee Climate IPR by the Licensee for financial gain, in each case after taxation and after deducting all reasonable costs, expenses and outgoings of the Licensee incurred in connection with the sale of such products or services or other such application of the Licensee Climate IPR as certified by the Licensee’s auditor.]

Paris Agreement means the Paris Agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Purpose means the sole purpose of researching and developing solutions which seek to minimise the impact of Climate Change or otherwise achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. 

Restricted Fields means [insert description of core business(es) operated by the Licensor using the Climate Technology].

Term means the period commencing on [●] and ending on [31 December 2050] unless otherwise extended by the Licensor in writing or terminated in accordance with this Licence.

Use means, make, use, sell, offer to sell, or import any patented invention; reproduce, adapt, translate, distribute, perform, display, modify, create derivative works of, or otherwise exploit any copyrights; and exercise all corresponding or additional rights as may be available in any jurisdiction anywhere in the world. The terms Used and Using shall be construed accordingly.

 

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