---
title: "Trademark Licensing"
url: "https://legal.ge/en/service/intellectual-property-law-en/trademark-licensing-en"
field: "Intellectual Property Law"
description: "Trademark licensing in Georgia: exclusive and simple licenses, Sakpatenti registration and the rules of use of the mark. Legal.ge."
reviewed: "2026-07-09"
updated: "2026-10-14"
publisher: "legal.ge"
---

# Trademark Licensing

> Source: legal.ge, https://legal.ge/en/service/intellectual-property-law-en/trademark-licensing-en

## The Essence of a License Agreement

Trademark licensing means that the holder of the mark (the licensor) grants another person (the licensee) the right to use the trademark under a license agreement. This instrument is the legal foundation of brand expansion, franchising and partner manufacturing. The rules are set by the Georgian Law on Trademarks: Article 26 defines the content of the license agreement, the types of license and the parties' rights, while Article 24 defines what counts as use of a trademark — decisive for assessing the reality of the license.

## Exclusive and Simple Licenses

Under the law a license is exclusive or simple. If the character of the license is not evident from the agreement, a simple license is presumed — in that case the licensor may itself use the trademark and conclude other license agreements. An exclusive license, conversely, does not give the licensor the right to conclude other license agreements or to use the mark itself, unless otherwise provided by the agreement; the rights arising from an exclusive license remain in force for the validity period of the trademark registration, unless otherwise provided by the agreement.

A license agreement may be concluded with respect to the entire list of goods or to a part of it — so the parties' concessions can also be divided by category of goods. The licensee is prohibited from transferring the rights arising from the license agreement or granting a sublicense where this does not directly follow from the agreement — a boundary that cuts off the risk of uncontrolled expansion against the brand owner's interests.

The full text is available on legal.ge after signing in: https://legal.ge/en/service/intellectual-property-law-en/trademark-licensing-en

### What types of license exist?

Exclusive and simple. An exclusive license bars the licensor from using the mark and issuing other licenses; absent agreement, a simple license is presumed.

### Does the licensee's use count as use?

Yes — use by the holder, by the licensee and by a third person with the holder's consent all count as use of the mark.

### Does an earlier license survive?

Yes. The transfer of rights to a mark or a new license does not extend to a license previously granted to a third person.

### What about marks with a geographical indication?

A license on such a mark is permissible only where the licensee has the right to use that geographical indication or appellation of origin.