By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief For an actor that has appeared for just seconds in a short online video, Tilly Norwood has created an awful lot of controversy. It's got nothing to do with her acting, and everything to do with the fact Tilly Norwood isn't human. In fact, other than some lines of code, Tilly Norwood doesn't actually exist. Instead, Norwood is simply a … [Read more...] about Opinion: AI ‘Actress’ Tilly Norwood Raises the Stakes for Human Actors
News & Trends
Bulldog Licensing to Represent Preschool Brand BeddyByes
TLL Staff Independent licensing company Bulldog Licensing has been appointed to represent licensing and merchandising for BeddyByes in the UK and Ireland. The agreement was made on behalf of Thunderbird Brands and Thunderbird Distribution, the show’s global consumer products brand manager and media distributor. Created by JAM Media, BeddyByes is a preschool animated series … [Read more...] about Bulldog Licensing to Represent Preschool Brand BeddyByes
See Who Won at This Year’s Licensing Awards
Article Submitted The winners of this year’s Licensing Awards were crowned on Tuesday, September 16, in a glittering ceremony, with over 1,200 industry executives filling The Great Room at the Grosvenor House Hotel for an evening of celebration. The event opened with Jakki Brown, managing director at Max Publishing (which owns and organises The Licensing Awards), … [Read more...] about See Who Won at This Year’s Licensing Awards
Products of Change Putting Sustainability in the Spotlight at BLE
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Products of Change (POC) is set to take center stage at Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) this October, spotlighting sustainability and innovation in the licensing industry through a series of talks, showcases and collaborations. The organization will host its “POC Power Hour” in the Networking Hub on Tuesday, October 7, bringing together … [Read more...] about Products of Change Putting Sustainability in the Spotlight at BLE
Crowdsourcing Authenticity: Octane5 Says Future of Brand Protection Lies with Consumers
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Counterfeit goods have always been the dark underbelly of the licensing industry. From fake Disney merchandise to knockoff handbags and collectible toys, illicit products drain billions from legitimate companies while eroding consumer trust. The challenge has grown more complex in recent years as counterfeiters leverage global … [Read more...] about Crowdsourcing Authenticity: Octane5 Says Future of Brand Protection Lies with Consumers
Gotendai Using AI to Turn Care Bears Into ‘Digital Companions’
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Cloudco Entertainment is partnering with artificial intelligence startup Gotendai to launch an interactive mobile app featuring the Care Bears as digital companions. The app, set to debut in early 2026 on iOS in the U.S., will allow users to interact with 3D animated versions of classic Care Bears, including Grumpy Bear, Bedtime Bear and … [Read more...] about Gotendai Using AI to Turn Care Bears Into ‘Digital Companions’
What Are You Unveiling at BLE 2025?
TLL Staff The Brand Licensing Europe tradeshow is coming up fast, and TLL wants to lend your marketing department a helping hand! We're interested to see what types of new products, intellectual property and programs our readers and partners are going to be presenting at BLE this year, and we're sure everyone else is too. So, if you'd like to send us a short, roughly … [Read more...] about What Are You Unveiling at BLE 2025?
AI Firm Anthropic Pays $1.5 Billion in Largest Ever Copyright Settlement
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief The artificial intelligence developer Anthropic has agreed to pay $1.5 billion to settle claims that it downloaded millions of pirated books to train its large language models (LLMs). Attorneys and legal experts say the settlement is the largest copyright settlement in U.S. history, even though one important aspect of the plaintiff's case … [Read more...] about AI Firm Anthropic Pays $1.5 Billion in Largest Ever Copyright Settlement
Protecting Brands in the Age of AI: A Conversation with JPatton
JPatton’s layered security labels combine currency-grade printing, holography, and forensic codes to protect against counterfeiting. Image courtesy of JPatton. How JPatton Has Adapted to Protect Brands From New Threats to IP In an era when counterfeiters move at the speed of AI, brands are under constant attack. Fake merchandise, unauthorized product diversion, and digital … [Read more...] about Protecting Brands in the Age of AI: A Conversation with JPatton
Who’s News: Mattel Announces Major Leadership Restructuring
By Allison Watkinson TLL Reporter Mattel is launching a new brand organization and leadership structure that will integrate marketing across the company's Global Brands and Franchise teams. The reorganized leadership structure includes several promotions to newly-created and existing executive roles at the company. These new promotions include Roberto Stanichi as … [Read more...] about Who’s News: Mattel Announces Major Leadership Restructuring