Luxury goods group LVMH will set up a manufacturing joint venture with eyewear manufacturer Marcolin to give it more control over its eyewear brands. The French licensor will own 51% of the venture, and Marconi the rest. The deal also involves LVMH taking a 10% stake in the Italian company. Marcolin will begin manufacturing eyewear for the Celine and Louis Vuitton brands from … [Read more...] about LVMH Brings Eyewear Licenses In-house
Articles
Social Roundups
YouTube is the No. 1 brand amongst kids 6–12 years-old in the U.S., according to Smarty Pants’ list of Kids' Most Loved Brands. Other brands on the list include Disney (No. 6), while Toys 'R' Us (No. 7), Disney Channel (No. 9), Netflix (No. 11), Crayola (No. 18), Lego (No. 21), and Nickelodeon (No. 23). Snapchat files for an IPO, seeking a valuation of $25 billion. USA Today … [Read more...] about Social Roundups
Retailer Showdown
Over 100 retailers are joining forces to fight against a proposed U.S. tax on imports, aiming to sway both federal lawmakers and American consumers. The Americans for Affordable Products coalition includes The Retail Industry Leaders Association and more than 120 other trade groups. The proposed corporate tax reform is meant to reward companies that sell products outside the … [Read more...] about Retailer Showdown
Who’s News
Open call Looking to hire or be hired? Contact our business development team to feature your listing on TLL. Just want to feature your new hires? Contact editorial. The last couple of years have seen entire licensing teams displaced at top companies as they migrate across the corporate waters. We hope that the flocks have settled down for the winter—but just in case they … [Read more...] about Who’s News
Mergers & Acquisitions
Nine West Holdings enters into a definitive agreement to acquire women’s sportswear firm Kasper Group following its sale of the Easy Spirit wholesale business; the transaction is expected to close this month. Funko buys London-based manufacturer and distributor Underground Toys. Studio 100 acquires a 68% majority stake in m4e; the new group will bolster each company's … [Read more...] about Mergers & Acquisitions
Deals in Short
As always, see the complete list of deals from this last week here. In Japan, a Betty Boop-branded diner opens in Japan through a deal brokered with Food Business Consultant Inc. (FBC) by licensor King Features’ Japanese agent, Copyrights Asia. The location plans to feature merch and special holiday events in the '50s-esque eatery. WildBrain is appointed as the exclusive … [Read more...] about Deals in Short
Who’s News
Open call Looking to hire or be hired? Contact our business development team to feature your listing on TLL. Just want to feature your new hires? Contact editorial. Vandor hires Sarah DeVoll as President & CEO. A+E Networks creates two new Editor-in-Chief positions; Lea Goldman is appointed Editor-in-Chief Lifetime & FYI and Tiffanie Darke joins as Editor-in-Chief … [Read more...] about Who’s News
Video Games in the Pipeline: 40% Sequels, 30% Licensed, 20% New IP
Over the next two years, releases of video games based on original IP are going to take a backseat to sequels, reboots, and licensed titles. Just 20.6% of titles are based on original IP—sequels comprise 43% of the list, followed by licensed titles at 30%. VR titles follow at 11%, with reboots making up 8% of the list. See the complete update to TLL's list of planned video … [Read more...] about Video Games in the Pipeline: 40% Sequels, 30% Licensed, 20% New IP
Licensing Shorts
Government seizures of counterfeit products totaled over 31,560 goods in fiscal year 2016, up over 9% to an estimated $1.3 billion based on the MSRP of seized goods. The top categories were apparel and accessories (over 20% of all seizures, valued at $110.8 million). Watches and jewelry continued to be the top products seized, with a value of more than $635.5 million. Handbags … [Read more...] about Licensing Shorts
Who’s News
Open call Looking to hire or be hired? Contact our business development team to feature your listing on TLL. Just want to feature your new hires? Contact editorial. Mattel names former Google Americas President Margaret Georgiadis as its new CEO and a member of its board of directors. Georgiadis takes over from Christopher Sinclair on Feb. 8th. She currently serves on the … [Read more...] about Who’s News