The Licensing Letter

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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

Who’s News: Spin Master, LEGO and Skydance

Spin Master Announces Two Nominations to its Board of Directors Spin Master, the Canadian-based global children's entertainment company, has announced the nomination of Ed Clark and Max Rangel (pictured) to the company's Board of Directors. Clark will join the Board as Deputy Chair while Rangel will serve as a Director. Both will stand for election at Spin Master's annual … [Read more...] about Who’s News: Spin Master, LEGO and Skydance

Paul Simon Latest To Sell Music Catalog

Legendary singer-songwriter Paul Simon has become the latest star musician to cash in on his lifetime body of work, selling his entire music catalog to Sony Music Publishing for an undisclosed amount. “I’m pleased to have Sony Music Publishing be the custodian of my songs for the coming decades," said Simon after the deal was announced. "I began my career at Columbia/Sony … [Read more...] about Paul Simon Latest To Sell Music Catalog

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

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

Jewel & GCA Partner on Noted: The Greeting Card Expo

The Greeting Card Association (GCA) and Jewel Branding & Licensing have announced a new partnership to co-locate Noted: The Greeting Card Expo and Showcase, running virtually on May 20 and 21, 2021. Noted debuted in 2019 with the goal of bringing together the greeting card community so attendees could connect with one another, discover new products, and celebrate the … [Read more...] about Jewel & GCA Partner on Noted: The Greeting Card Expo