Have a question about patents, licensing, or the SIP Program? Send us a message, or check the answers below first.
A patent protects how something works — a specific technical method that can be described, built, and repeated. It gives the inventor the legal right to stop others from using a specific method, process, system, or technical approach for about 20 years. Patents do not protect code, products, or ideas in the abstract. A patent is not copyright (songs, media, content), a trademark (brand, name, logo), ownership of software code, or a vague concept or idea.
A patent license is permission to use a patented technology in your product or service. A patent owner has the legal right to stop others from using a specific method, process, or system. A license is how they allow you to use it — legally.
A license may allow you to:
No. A song, melody, harmony, lyrics, or performance cannot be patented — they are protected by copyright. How music is created, modified, analyzed, or delivered can be patented. Patents apply to technology, processes, systems, methods, software, hardware, signal processing, AI models, and novel production workflows.
Common licensees include:
A music derivative is technology that generates, transforms, analyzes, or enhances music. These are patentable because they are technical inventions, not artistic works — for example, AI that creates stems from a mixed track, software that converts vocals to MIDI, algorithms for remixing, time-stretching, pitch-shifting, or spatial audio, systems for interactive music in games or VR, tools for automated mastering or style transfer, novel DJ performance systems, or music visualization and music-to-motion systems.
Using patented technology without a license is infringement, even if you wrote your own code, built your own hardware, or did not copy anything. Patent protection covers the idea and method, not the specific implementation.
Yes. Patent infringement depends on what your system does, not how you built it. If your product performs a patented method, you need a license.
Yes. Licensing is typically designed to be accessible, not punitive.
Most patent holders prefer licensing partnerships over litigation, but possible outcomes include a cease and desist, required retroactive licensing, legal damages, or product removal from market.
If your product generates music, transforms audio into new structures, analyzes or decomposes music, maps performance data to sound, or uses novel audio workflows, it likely performs a method covered by the portfolio.
Yes — AI music, stem separation, style transfer, and automated production are all actively patented areas in music tech.
Reach out to explore licensing opportunities, strategic partnerships, or collaboration initiatives.