The Licensing Letter

Licensing Law

Snoop Dogg Signs Deal For Internationally Licensed Cannabis Brand

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Photo of Snoop Dogg by Eva Rinaldi The weed-loving rapper Snoop Dogg has just signed a deal for branded cannabis product with the Canadian producer Atlas Global Brands. “Snoop Dogg is one of the most iconic figures in cannabis culture and it’s an honour to collaborate with him,” said Atlas Global CEO Bernie Yeung. “Consumers love … [Read more...] about Snoop Dogg Signs Deal For Internationally Licensed Cannabis Brand

Licensing Tech: BIP Launches an Online Licensing Marketplace

Major Licensor Jazwares and Hit Metaverse Gaming Brands Among First to Use the Platform By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Tech company BIP has launched a global IP licensing marketplace, with toy giant Jazwares and metaverse gaming brands already on board. Metaverse games Brookhaven and Jailbreak are among the other brands signed on to the nascent IP licensing … [Read more...] about Licensing Tech: BIP Launches an Online Licensing Marketplace

Analysis: Puffin Walks a Legal Tightrope in Editing Roald Dahl

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief The publisher Puffin will be editing books by Roald Dahl to make them more inclusive, but will also release a version that is unedited. The latter move came after a backlash by freedom of speech advocates who protested the idea of censoring Dahl's books to make them more inclusive. The works of beloved but occasionally … [Read more...] about Analysis: Puffin Walks a Legal Tightrope in Editing Roald Dahl

Licensing Law: Fashion Giant Lacoste Files Five Metaverse Trademarks

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief The popular fashion brand Lacoste is joining the industry's dive into the metaverse, filing five new trademarks for digital goods. The filings were made for its new Champs-Elysees line of apparel, jewelry, and luggage, which was launched back in July 2022 as a brand intended to be compatible with cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens, or … [Read more...] about Licensing Law: Fashion Giant Lacoste Files Five Metaverse Trademarks

Licensing Survey: We Want to Hear From You For 2023 Licensing Survey

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief The Licensing Letter is launching its annual survey of the licensing industry, and we want to hear from you! So much so, that we're increasing the available rewards for those licensing pros who take the time and trouble to fill out the annual survey. We know your time is valuable, so this year, anyone who fills out the survey and … [Read more...] about Licensing Survey: We Want to Hear From You For 2023 Licensing Survey

Update: Hermès Wins Landmark Lawsuit Over ‘MetaBirkin’ NFTs

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief The luxury brand Hermès has won a landmark case that will help determine the future of NFT artworks in the United States. A nine-person jury emerged from several days of consideration to name Hermès the victor in a copyright infringement trial. NFT artist Mason Rothschild was also ordered to pay $133,000 in damages to Hermès, … [Read more...] about Update: Hermès Wins Landmark Lawsuit Over ‘MetaBirkin’ NFTs

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

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

Annual Licensing Royalty Trends Report Available Now

The Licensing Letter has released its annual Licensing Royalty Trends Report on the TLL Bookstore. And this year, the report comes with a major difference. Typically the Licensing Royalty Trends Report covers the differences in royalties and revenue, as well as changes in common licensing contract terms, from one year to the next. This year, however, the TLL team studied … [Read more...] about Annual Licensing Royalty Trends Report Available Now