Licensing brand logos etc

[markouk]

Hi All,

I'm trying to figure out how to license some logos, images and such like for printing on a variety of apparel.

I see so many products in stores such as tshirts, hats and general consumer goods that have Disney characters, movie themed branding etc so it must be commonplace but I don't know how to get access to the license holder and what terms are expected once engaged with them.

Does anyone in here have this experience and or are currently in an agreement with a licensor that could point me in the right direction please?

Thanks

 

[billmccallum1957]

you need to be specific, which???

For example http://disneypermissions.force.com/WelcomeIntakePage

 

[Ahmad Abubaker1]

sometime it is as simple as calling up their licensing decision. For example Disney and Marvel have their own licensing teams that you can contact. I have previously contacted marvel for licensing deals and I can confirm that unless you have 150k for a single IP per year you shouldn't even think about it.

 

[markouk]

sometime it is as simple as calling up their licensing decision. For example Disney and Marvel have their own licensing teams that you can contact. I have previously contacted marvel for licensing deals and I can confirm that unless you have 150k for a single IP per year you shouldn't even think about it.

That's incredible considering the very cheap pound store items I have seen that are using Disney and Marvel IP. How on earth could they break even with that kind of expenditure?

Depends what the terms are in relation to the IP. Do you mean for example a Mickey Mouse image that you could print on t-shirts, hats, plates, coasters et al or limited to application on one product type for £150k?

Thanks

 

[billmccallum1957]

That's incredible considering the very cheap pound store items I have seen that are using Disney and Marvel IP. How on earth could they break even with that kind of expenditure?

Depends what the terms are in relation to the IP. Do you mean for example a Mickey Mouse image that you could print on t-shirts, hats, plates, coasters et al or limited to application on one product type for £150k?

Thanks

Not at all incredible, if you have the quantity to sell, 20 million items, shipped around the world to discount stores, would have a licencing cost of less than 1p each, if the cost was £150K.

 

[Ahmad Abubaker1]

Most pound store items are manufactured by factories who deal with hundreds and thousands of Products so it is not really all that incredible since they sell in great volumes, as has already been pointed out by Bill.

Your best bet is to buy Products from factories that are already licensed to use Whatever IP you are thinking of using that way you don't have to pay any license fees for the respected IP.

 

[The Byre]

Do you mean for example a Mickey Mouse image that you could print on t-shirts, hats, plates, coasters et al or limited to application on one product type for £150k?

Mickey is far more expensive than £150k and is limited to one product at a time.

 

[Ahmad Abubaker1]

I cant speak to Mickey, But, what i said is true to some of of Marvels well known characters.

 

[obscure]

+1 to the above. I spent several years working on products (video games) licensed from companies like Disney. Your legal fees to hire an experienced IP lawyer to negotiate the deal would probably top £10K even before you have paid Disney a penny.

They expect a Disney licensed product to sell in very large quantities and change accordingly. Their quality control and creative control standards are also very high. If your company isn't set up to make/sell millions of units world-wide then there really is no point in considering an IP of that nature.

You might be better off looking for a much smaller licensing agency that might represent a smaller/cult/niche characters. Even then you will likely be looking at tens of thousands of £ up front as an advance on royalties.

 

[markouk]

Thanks for the feedback, very interesting reading and certainly enlightening.

Looks like best option as noted to deal with current MFG who is licensing.

Lucrative business being on the licensor end if you get it right

 

[obscure]

Lucrative business being on the licensor end if you get it right

Not at all. There is plenty of money to be made as a licensee provided you have the necessary resources and structure to make the most of the opportunity.