diff --git a/encode.go b/encode.go
index 371c364..20aace3 100644
--- a/encode.go
+++ b/encode.go
@@ -35,18 +35,22 @@ type BOMEncoder interface {
 
 	// SetPretty toggles prettified output.
 	SetPretty(pretty bool) BOMEncoder
+
+	// SetEscapeHTML toggles escaped HTML output.
+	SetEscapeHTML(escapeHTML bool) BOMEncoder
 }
 
 func NewBOMEncoder(writer io.Writer, format BOMFileFormat) BOMEncoder {
 	if format == BOMFileFormatJSON {
-		return &jsonBOMEncoder{writer: writer}
+		return &jsonBOMEncoder{writer: writer, escapeHTML: true}
 	}
 	return &xmlBOMEncoder{writer: writer}
 }
 
 type jsonBOMEncoder struct {
-	writer io.Writer
-	pretty bool
+	writer     io.Writer
+	pretty     bool
+	escapeHTML bool
 }
 
 // Encode implements the BOMEncoder interface.
@@ -56,6 +60,7 @@ func (j jsonBOMEncoder) Encode(bom *BOM) error {
 	}
 
 	encoder := json.NewEncoder(j.writer)
+	encoder.SetEscapeHTML(j.escapeHTML)
 	if j.pretty {
 		encoder.SetIndent("", "  ")
 	}
@@ -79,6 +84,12 @@ func (j *jsonBOMEncoder) SetPretty(pretty bool) BOMEncoder {
 	return j
 }
 
+// SetEscapeHTML implements the BOMEncoder interface.
+func (j *jsonBOMEncoder) SetEscapeHTML(escapeHTML bool) BOMEncoder {
+	j.escapeHTML = escapeHTML
+	return j
+}
+
 type xmlBOMEncoder struct {
 	writer io.Writer
 	pretty bool
@@ -113,3 +124,9 @@ func (x *xmlBOMEncoder) SetPretty(pretty bool) BOMEncoder {
 	x.pretty = pretty
 	return x
 }
+
+// SetEscapeHTML implements the BOMEncoder interface.
+func (j *xmlBOMEncoder) SetEscapeHTML(escapeHTML bool) BOMEncoder {
+	// NOOP -- XML always needs to escape HTML
+	return j
+}
diff --git a/encode_test.go b/encode_test.go
index f4546d4..89c6da2 100644
--- a/encode_test.go
+++ b/encode_test.go
@@ -65,6 +65,70 @@ func TestJsonBOMEncoder_SetPretty(t *testing.T) {
 `, buf.String())
 }
 
+func TestJsonBOMEncoder_SetEscapeHTML_true(t *testing.T) {
+	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	encoder := NewBOMEncoder(buf, BOMFileFormatJSON)
+	encoder.SetPretty(true)
+	encoder.SetEscapeHTML(true)
+
+	bom := NewBOM()
+	bom.Metadata = &Metadata{
+		Authors: &[]OrganizationalContact{
+			{
+				Name: "some&<\"Name",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	require.NoError(t, encoder.Encode(bom))
+
+	assert.Equal(t, `{
+  "bomFormat": "CycloneDX",
+  "specVersion": "1.4",
+  "version": 1,
+  "metadata": {
+    "authors": [
+      {
+        "name": "some\u0026\u003c\"Name"
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+}
+`, buf.String())
+}
+
+func TestJsonBOMEncoder_SetEscapeHTML_false(t *testing.T) {
+	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	encoder := NewBOMEncoder(buf, BOMFileFormatJSON)
+	encoder.SetPretty(true)
+	encoder.SetEscapeHTML(false)
+
+	bom := NewBOM()
+	bom.Metadata = &Metadata{
+		Authors: &[]OrganizationalContact{
+			{
+				Name: "some+<&\"Name",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	require.NoError(t, encoder.Encode(bom))
+
+	assert.Equal(t, `{
+  "bomFormat": "CycloneDX",
+  "specVersion": "1.4",
+  "version": 1,
+  "metadata": {
+    "authors": [
+      {
+        "name": "some+<&\"Name"
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+}
+`, buf.String())
+}
+
 func TestXmlBOMEncoder_SetPretty(t *testing.T) {
 	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
 	encoder := NewBOMEncoder(buf, BOMFileFormatXML)