It is common practice in the licensing industry restrict licensees to defined channels of distribution as an important measure of quality control and maintaining brand standards. This is usually accomplished in one of two ways: a grant of a spe- cific channel with a reservation of rights, or a spe- cific prohibition of certain channels...click to read full article

The past decade has seen an explosionof celebrity licensing programmes on a global scale. From Martha Stewart to the Kardashian sisters, celebrity- branded licensed products are now ubiquitous in the marketplace. Due to the plethora of newly-minted reality television stars in the United States and around the world, there are now more ‘celebrities’ seeking licenses ...click to read full article

The intersection of licensing and anti- trust law is as relevant today as it was forty years ago. Back then, courts and legal commentators were suspicious that licensing could be used as a means to engage in anti-competitive commercial activities, and now it’s used to pre-empt unlawful restraints of trade...click to read full article

As the U.S. economy makes its way through the early stages of a slow but steady recovery, there is every reason to believe that the licensing business is beginning on that same path. Anecdotal evidence indicates that – after a long period in which many potential agreements seemed to be frozen by uncer- tainty about economic conditions, as well as retail conservatism – the atmosphere in the U.S. is more positive. Retail sales are creeping up, and business seems to be on the upswing...click to read full article

Trusting the licensee to do the right thing is not good enough. A properly drafted license agreement is the only way. In every licensing programme, there is an inherent tension between brand owners, who seek to maintain product quality and the goodwill associated with their brands, and licensee-manufacturers, who want the freedom to develop products...click to read full article

The need for properly drafted license agreements is being felt like never before and has more or less become a critical need. There are now far fewer opportunities in the marketplace, particularly for new properties without a proven track record or a successful entertainment component to support the programme...click to read full article.

Drafting a proper licensing agreement is indispensable before striking the actual deal to keep both the parties, a licensee and licensor, on the safe side. The exercise entails intricate legal application....click to read full article