TLL Staff People of Play (POP), a division of The Toy Association, has named Shannon Swindle as its new Director. POP says Swindle brings deep experience and a passion for the toy and game industry to the role. Previously, Swindle served as Inventor Relations Manager for Games at Moose Toys. There, she successfully licensed 18 games over the past two years, including … [Read more...] about Who’s News: People of Play Welcomes Shannon Swindle as New Director
News & Trends
CISAC Study Predicts Human Creators Will Lose Revenue to Generative AI
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief At its heart, the entire entertainment industry is based on the work of human content creators, be they musicians, artists or writers, but that relationship is now threatened by the advent of Generative AI. That's the view of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), which has just released a study … [Read more...] about CISAC Study Predicts Human Creators Will Lose Revenue to Generative AI
Who’s News: Dr. Seuss Bolsters Licensing Leadership with Strategic Promotions
TLL Staff Dr. Seuss Enterprises has announced the promotions of Jimeka Broussard to Director of Licensing, North America and Jenna Marson to Director of Licensing, International Markets. The company says these leadership appointments reflect the company’s commitment to accelerating its licensing efforts both domestically and internationally as it seeks to expand its … [Read more...] about Who’s News: Dr. Seuss Bolsters Licensing Leadership with Strategic Promotions
Who’s News: Miraculous Expands Global Leadership Team
By Allison Watkinson TLL Reporter Miraculous Corp has expanded its global leadership team with two new executive appointments. The two leadership appointments include Ashley Depp as the company's new SVP of marketing & franchise and Heath Kenny as Miraculous Corp's new CCO (chief content officer). “Heath and Ashley bring a wealth of expertise, visionary … [Read more...] about Who’s News: Miraculous Expands Global Leadership Team
Members Only: TLL’s Top 8 Licensing Trends for 2025
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief The licensing industry is undergoing a period of extremely rapid change, thanks largely to a variety of economic and political factors, but even more to the rapid development of new technologies that have opened up new opportunities for the brand licensing sector. That’s not surprising. Rapid advances in technology always create new … [Read more...] about Members Only: TLL’s Top 8 Licensing Trends for 2025
Gibson Guitar Fraud Shows Importance of Brand Protection Technology
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief The recent seizure of 3,000 fake Gibson guitars highlights the need for IP security measures, says JPatton Business Development Manager Franco Diaz. The counterfeit guitars, had they been genuine, would have been worth $18.7 million, which would put a sizeable dent in the revenues of the legendary American guitar producer. "Brand owners … [Read more...] about Gibson Guitar Fraud Shows Importance of Brand Protection Technology
NRF Predicts 2024 Holiday Spending to Reach New Record
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief The National Retail Federation projects average consumer spending over the 2024 holidays will reach a record $902 per person. The NRF bases that number on the average expected spending for gifts, food, decorations, and other seasonal items, with figures coming from its annual consumer survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. … [Read more...] about NRF Predicts 2024 Holiday Spending to Reach New Record
Angry Mom Sues Mattel For Porn Link on Wicked Doll Package
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Toymaker Mattel was sued this week by a mother for mistakenly putting a link to a porn site on the packaging for its Wicked line of dolls. The inclusion of the link was clearly an honest error on the part of Mattel, as the link for the Wicked Movie (wickedmovie.com) was very similar to that of the porn site. However, South Carolina mom … [Read more...] about Angry Mom Sues Mattel For Porn Link on Wicked Doll Package
Feds Seize 3,000 Counterfeit Gibson Guitars Worth $19 Million
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Federal officials say they have seized thousands of counterfeit Gibson electric guitars at the Los Angeles-Long Beach Seaport. Officials involved in the operation says it is the "largest counterfeit musical instrument seizure on record." The operation was conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, assisted by Homeland … [Read more...] about Feds Seize 3,000 Counterfeit Gibson Guitars Worth $19 Million
Canadian News Media Open New Front in War Over AI and Copyright
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief A coalition of Canada's top news organizations is suing OpenAI for using its content to train its ChatGPT generative AI bot. The coalition includes The Canadian Press wire service, Torstar, the Globe and Mail, Postmedia and CBC/Radio-Canada. For full disclosure, the author of this story worked at CBC/Radio Canada, and … [Read more...] about Canadian News Media Open New Front in War Over AI and Copyright