The Licensing Letter

Articles

State of the Union: Reviewing Video Games in 2018

Contact the editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com The U.S. video gaming industry broke records in 2018 to hit an estimated $43.4 billion in sales, according to the NPD Group, marking a rise of 18% year-over-year. Hardware revenue, including peripherals, hit $7.5 billion for a markup of 15% year-over-year. Software revenue was up 18% to reach $35.8 billion. Accessory and … [Read more...] about State of the Union: Reviewing Video Games in 2018

Who’s News—February 2019

Are you hiring—or being promoted, changing jobs, retiring, launching a new company, or otherwise changing your employment? Contact the Editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com to announce the news in our next issue of Who's News. 2/18/2019 Activision Blizzard names Steve Young President Consumer Products as Tim Kilpin retires from the post. Cloudco Entertainment (form. … [Read more...] about Who’s News—February 2019

Right of Publicity & Using Celebrities Without Permission

Contact the editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com Consider, for a moment, the following situations: EA Sports uses likenesses of well-known college athletes as characters for its video games Samsung uses images and bios of legendary Olympians for its “Genome Project” app Pitbull mentions Lindsay Lohan in a song lyric Abercrombie and Fitch uses a famous surfer’s photo in … [Read more...] about Right of Publicity & Using Celebrities Without Permission

Living Coral: 2019 NSS, NY Now & Surtex Edition

Contact the editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com CORAL, as in: Conscientious, Organized, Retro, and Animated Living. From the floor of the 2019 National Stationery Show (NSS), Retail Renaissance NY Now, and Surtex, TLL brings you the latest in home, stationery, and surface design trends. This year, all three shows were held simultaneously in New York City's Jacob Javits … [Read more...] about Living Coral: 2019 NSS, NY Now & Surtex Edition

Ruth, Ross & Rogers: America’s Top Personalities

Contact the editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com Americans can't seem to get enough of the three R's—Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG), The Joy of Painting's Bob Ross, and the host of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Fred Rogers. They're calm, they're kind, and they're what we need right now. First things first, let's not take this out of proportion. All together, … [Read more...] about Ruth, Ross & Rogers: America’s Top Personalities

Right of Publicity: Where Does Your State Stand?

The right of publicity comes from state rather than federal law—via statute or common law (i.e., case law) and, in some cases, from both sources. But there are also 18 states that don’t recognize an individual’s right of publicity. Here’s a geographic rundown. Learn more about how the right of publicity plays into the unauthorized use of a celebrity for commercial … [Read more...] about Right of Publicity: Where Does Your State Stand?

Tom Brady Leads Licensed NFL Player Sales in 2018-19

Contact the editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com No matter what happens out in the field, the real MVP of the 2018-19 NFL season is—quite literally—Tom Brady, according to both the NFLPA's top 50 players list and NFLshop.com's list of top-selling jerseys. Speaking of the Superbowl, the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams contributed three players each to the … [Read more...] about Tom Brady Leads Licensed NFL Player Sales in 2018-19

What’s Your Position? Offensive Players Lead NFL Licensed Retail Sales

Contact the editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com When it comes to generating licensed retail sales, quarterbacks dominate the playing field. Quarterbacks dominated this year's NFPLA top 50 players list, taking nearly half of the top 50 slots with 46% share in the 2018-19 season—with six of the top 10 players occupying that position. They were followed by wide receivers … [Read more...] about What’s Your Position? Offensive Players Lead NFL Licensed Retail Sales

Seahawks, Cowboys Home to the Best-Selling NFL Players

Contact the editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com The Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys were the most popular teams to show up on the NFLPA's top 50 players list from the 2013-14 through to the 2018-19 NFL seasons. Here's the top 10 list: 1. Seattle Seahawks: 25 1. Dallas Cowboys: 25 2. Pittsburgh Steelers: 21 3. Green Bay Packers: 18 4. New England Patriots: 15 5. Denver … [Read more...] about Seahawks, Cowboys Home to the Best-Selling NFL Players