By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief As many have predicted, the licensing industry and in particular companies involved with collectibles like comics and trading cards, have dived headfirst into the world of Non-Fungible Tokens, or NFTs. Some of the examples include DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Funko, and the collectible giant Topps Company, which has been into NFTs for close … [Read more...] about Brands Taking A Deep Dive Into NFT Market
Property Types
Sanrio Partners With Nintendo on Animal Crossing
Items, clothing and new characters inspired by Sanrio brands are coming to the Nintendo hit video game Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. Sanrio owns several popular character brands, the most famous being Hello Kitty (pictured), which have been licensed in everything from apparel, to gifts, to home products. Now Sanrio's suite of adorable … [Read more...] about Sanrio Partners With Nintendo on Animal Crossing
Special Report: The Downside of NFTs
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief If you're like me, you've likely been reading about the recent NFT craze and wondering if these 'Non-Fungible Tokens' will be used in the licensing industry as a means to establish intellectual property ownership and licensing rights. The answer is both yes ... and maybe no. Most of the news about NFTs over the past month has focused on … [Read more...] about Special Report: The Downside of NFTs
Marvel, DC Initiate Seismic Shift in Comics Distribution
By Gary Symons Editor in Chief Marvel Comics has followed the lead of DC Comics, ending its exclusive arrangement with Diamond Comic Distributors, and signing a global agreement with publishing giant Penguin Random House (PRH) to be its new Direct Market distributor. Direct Market sales are those that involve distribution to independent comic book shops, which until recently … [Read more...] about Marvel, DC Initiate Seismic Shift in Comics Distribution
Vir The Robot Boy Is Now Teaching Kids
New Partnership Between Wow Kidz and Twinkl to Create Educational Materials Schools have taken a real hit over the past year due to COVID-19, but Vir the Robot Boy is flying in to the rescue with a new range of themed educational resources. The initiative is due to a partnership between Wow Kidz, the kids’ animation brand owned by Cosmos-Maya, with the global … [Read more...] about Vir The Robot Boy Is Now Teaching Kids
Fanatics Partners With NFL and Amazon In Major Strategic Shift
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Amazon is the dominant force in the Western world when it comes to ecommerce, with the one exception of pro-sports branded sports gear and memorabilia, and that's because the market is largely cornered by Fanatics. Now, that may be changing due to a game changing new partnership between the National Football League, Fanatics, and Amazon. The … [Read more...] about Fanatics Partners With NFL and Amazon In Major Strategic Shift
Songwriters Demand Musicians Stop Taking Credit For Their Work
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief A group of the world's top songwriters are launching a rebellion of sorts against "a growing number of (recording) artists" who they say are taking credit—and royalties—for songs they had no hand in writing. Called The Pact, the group includes writers who have penned massive hits for Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, One … [Read more...] about Songwriters Demand Musicians Stop Taking Credit For Their Work
Video Game In Development For John Carter: Warlord of Mars
The classic sci-fi adventure series John Carter: Warlord of Mars is coming to a video game console near you, as Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc,. announced its team is working with FNCPR to develop and publish a first person action game, starring the "world's oldest interplanetary warrior." Over 27 years FNCPR has worked on some of the biggest games in the industry, including … [Read more...] about Video Game In Development For John Carter: Warlord of Mars
Schitt’s Creek Goes Down Under With Merchantwise
MERCHANTWISE LICENSING HAS BEEN APPOINTED BY ITV STUDIOS TO REPRESENT SCHITT’S CREEK IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND The Canadian comedy that became a global megahit is now being represented by Merchantwise Licensing in both Australia and New Zealand on behalf of ITV Studios. Schitt's Creek originally aired on CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp.), but the quirky comedy quickly … [Read more...] about Schitt’s Creek Goes Down Under With Merchantwise
ZAG’s Miraculous Signs With Disney and New Product Partners
The hit series Miraculous - Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir has been signed on for seasons four and five, and high ratings are now driving several new licensing deals. Julian Zag, Executive Vice President, Global Operations, says the company has signed several "top tier" partners over the past month for a wide range of consumer products and services. Newly signed consumer … [Read more...] about ZAG’s Miraculous Signs With Disney and New Product Partners