The Licensing Letter

News & Trends

Who’s News: ZAG Appoints Former Target Exec As VP of Retail Development

By Allison Watkinson TLL Reporter ZAG has appointed veteran retail expert Gaye Dean as the company's new VP of North America retail development. In her new position at Zag, Dean will manage strategic relationships across all tiers of retail throughout North America for the ZAG Heroez brand franchise. Her initial focus will be to work with retailers on this year’s product … [Read more...] about Who’s News: ZAG Appoints Former Target Exec As VP of Retail Development

Who’s News: Former Disney Exec Tapped to Lead UP&E’s Global Strategy

By Allison Watkinson TLL Reporter Universal Products & Experiences has appointed Rafael 'Rafa' Macias to lead the company's global commercial strategies. Macias' newly created position at UP&E is officially titled EVP and global commercial officer of consumer products. In his new position, he will oversee not only strategy, but also consumer products development, … [Read more...] about Who’s News: Former Disney Exec Tapped to Lead UP&E’s Global Strategy

Sustainability: Moose Toys Sets Net Zero Goal For 2040

By Allison Watkinson TLL Reporter The Moose Toys company recently announced its commitment to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2040. The Australian toy company has set several long and short term sustainability targets that are in line with the international Paris Agreement. These goals will be verified by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) … [Read more...] about Sustainability: Moose Toys Sets Net Zero Goal For 2040

Who’s News: Former BBC Exec To Lead Partnerships At Insights Family

By Allison Watkinson TLL Reporter The Insights Family has appointed former BBC executive Rachel Bardill to lead their marketing and partnerships team. The Insights Family is a marketing intelligence company that specializes in providing information on kids and families. The company uses data science, machine-learning algorithms, and proprietary technology to provide … [Read more...] about Who’s News: Former BBC Exec To Lead Partnerships At Insights Family

Licensing Law: Black Eyed Peas Suing MGA Over Pooping Unicorn Song

Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief As a journalist, you never think you're going to write a sentence like "The Black Eyed Peas are suing a toy company over a pooping unicorn toy," but such is life. When I saw the news that BMG Rights Management has filed a suit against MGA over their Poopsie Slime Surprise: Dancing Unicorn toy, I had to double check to make sure someone … [Read more...] about Licensing Law: Black Eyed Peas Suing MGA Over Pooping Unicorn Song

Licensing Market Data: Insights Releases Its Future Forecast for 2023

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Market intelligence firm The Insights Family has released its annual Future Forecast 2023 report, which predicts 12 key trends in the kids, teens, parents, and family universe to watch out for this year. This is the fifth edition of the Future Forecast 2023, and the The Insights Family says the annual data release is proving to be a highly … [Read more...] about Licensing Market Data: Insights Releases Its Future Forecast for 2023

Why You Need to Watch the Getty Images Lawsuit Against Stability AI

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief In a world first, Getty Images is suing AI art generator Stability AI for copyright infringement, alleging it processed millions of its images. Stability AI is the company that created the popular art generation tool Stability Diffusion, which has already created millions of images for its users. However, like other similar programs, … [Read more...] about Why You Need to Watch the Getty Images Lawsuit Against Stability AI

Dungeons & Dragons Faces Fan Backlash Over Leaked Licensing Agreement

By Gary Symons  TLL Editor in Chief Hasbro’s hugely successful Wizards of the Coast faced a fan revolt this week over its new licensing rules.  At one point, as Games Radar reported, so many fans cancelled their subscriptions to the online hub D&D Beyond that it apparently caused the site to crash.  So, what touched off this fury among the Dungeons & Dragons … [Read more...] about Dungeons & Dragons Faces Fan Backlash Over Leaked Licensing Agreement

Who’s News: Studio 100 Appoints New Licensing Business Manager

By Allison Watkinson TLL Reporter Children's entertainment brand Studio 100 Media has appointed Alexandros Visentin as the company's new business development manager. Visentin will be responsible for leading Studio 100 Media's apparel division and expanding the reach of the company's core brands and third-party licensing rights. ”With Alexandros, we are gaining a … [Read more...] about Who’s News: Studio 100 Appoints New Licensing Business Manager

H&M’s Loooptopia Collab With Roblox to Encourage Fashion Recycling

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief The apparel retailer H&M has launched the Loooptopia Experience on Roblox, promoting sustainable fashion choices. The program interweaves the two major trends in fashion today, the first being the drive to make fashion more sustainable, and the second to take part in the growing world of virtual fashion in the … [Read more...] about H&M’s Loooptopia Collab With Roblox to Encourage Fashion Recycling