What does licensing allow businesses to do with their content?

Licensing is a legal agreement that permits one party to use another party's intellectual property while the original owner retains ownership of that property. By choosing to license content, businesses can enable others to use, distribute, or modify their materials under specified terms and conditions laid out in the licensing agreement. This arrangement allows businesses to benefit from their intellectual property without relinquishing ownership, granting them control over how their content is used and the ability to establish parameters for its use.

For instance, a software company can license its software to users, allowing the users to operate the software under defined conditions while the company maintains its ownership rights. This can create revenue streams and broaden market reach while ensuring that the original creator's rights are respected.

The other options do not accurately reflect the concept of licensing. Surrendering ownership of materials indicates a complete transfer of rights, which is not the case in licensing. Selling products directly to consumers is a separate commercial activity and does not pertain specifically to the licensing of content. Lastly, creating new content without restrictions is generally not the case in licensing agreements, which typically include limitations and conditions governing the use of the licensed content.