Commercialising intellectual property : franchising

Franchising has been increasingly used by European companies and individuals as a route for exploitation of intangibles and expansion of their business to other territories and countries. This fact sheet will therefore help readers understand the concept of franchising and in particular why it is an attractive business model both from the perspective of a potential Franchisor and that of a Franchisee. Franchising represents one way to commercialise intellectual property (IP), that is, to bring IP to the market for practical implementation. IP commercialisation, however, can take various forms.