Data
How common are IP assignment clauses?
When two businesses sign a contract, how often does ownership of intellectual property change hands?
124 of 510 (24.3%) assign IP ownership. 46 (9.0%) set up joint ownership, and 255 (50.0%) grant a license.
Assignment moves ownership; a license only gives permission to use. The two are counted separately, and one contract can contain both.
IP ownership assignment
| Contract type | Contracts with it | Share |
|---|---|---|
| All 510 contracts | 124 of 510 | 24.3% |
| Development agreement | 16 of 29 | 55.2% |
| Collaboration agreement | 9 of 26 | 34.6% |
| Co-branding agreement | 7 of 22 | 31.8% |
| Hosting agreement | 6 of 20 | 30.0% |
| License agreement | 9 of 33 | 27.3% |
| Service agreement | 6 of 28 | 21.4% |
| Endorsement agreement | 5 of 24 | 20.8% |
| Strategic alliance agreement | 6 of 32 | 18.8% |
| Joint venture agreement | 3 of 23 | 13.0% |
| Maintenance agreement | 4 of 34 | 11.8% |
| Distribution agreement | 3 of 32 | 9.4% |
| Sponsorship agreement | 1 of 31 | 3.2% |
Joint IP ownership
| Contract type | Contracts with it | Share |
|---|---|---|
| All 510 contracts | 46 of 510 | 9.0% |
| Development agreement | 12 of 29 | 41.4% |
| Co-branding agreement | 9 of 22 | 40.9% |
| Collaboration agreement | 6 of 26 | 23.1% |
| Hosting agreement | 3 of 20 | 15.0% |
| License agreement | 2 of 33 | 6.1% |
| Joint venture agreement | 1 of 23 | 4.3% |
| Endorsement agreement | 1 of 24 | 4.2% |
| Service agreement | 1 of 28 | 3.6% |
| Sponsorship agreement | 1 of 31 | 3.2% |
| Distribution agreement | 1 of 32 | 3.1% |
| Strategic alliance agreement | 1 of 32 | 3.1% |
| Maintenance agreement | 1 of 34 | 2.9% |
License grant
| Contract type | Contracts with it | Share |
|---|---|---|
| All 510 contracts | 255 of 510 | 50.0% |
| License agreement | 29 of 33 | 87.9% |
| Co-branding agreement | 19 of 22 | 86.4% |
| Endorsement agreement | 18 of 24 | 75.0% |
| Hosting agreement | 15 of 20 | 75.0% |
| Distribution agreement | 23 of 32 | 71.9% |
| Development agreement | 20 of 29 | 69.0% |
| Sponsorship agreement | 18 of 31 | 58.1% |
| Collaboration agreement | 11 of 26 | 42.3% |
| Strategic alliance agreement | 12 of 32 | 37.5% |
| Maintenance agreement | 8 of 34 | 23.5% |
| Service agreement | 4 of 28 | 14.3% |
| Joint venture agreement | 2 of 23 | 8.7% |
What it means before you sign
Among contract types with at least 20 contracts here, assignments were most common in development and collaboration agreements. If your contract assigns IP, check whether it reaches work you made before the project, and whether you get a license back.
How we counted
CUAD v1 labels, presence of text, types with at least 20 contracts.
Limits
- Larger-company deals — not freelance or employment contracts, where work-for-hire terms are common.
- The labels don't say which side receives the IP.
- Small groups per type.
Source: CUAD v1, The Atticus Project (Hendrycks et al., 2021), CC BY 4.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Counts derived from the published labels; no changes to the underlying data.
Informational — not legal advice.