Why sell a patent instead of licensing it?

Why sell a patent outright instead of licensing it?

An outright sale can yield more cash immediately, while licensing spreads income over time.

Selling a patent can bring in more money immediately than licensing its use. A licence offers income over time, with less available at the outset. The panel connects outright sales with a Treasury preference for immediate receipts and an assumption that Britain would not need the technology again. The railway example shows the cost of that assumption when the country later buys equipment derived from its own designs.