Product categories are based on the predominant way in which merchandise is classified by retailers and, by extension, licensors, manufacturers, and others in the business. Many products could fall within more than one classification. For example, plush could be considered either “Toys” or “Gifts/Novelties,” clocks could be “Housewares” or “Gifts/Novelties” or “Electronics,” … [Read more...] about TLL’s Guide to Product Categories
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TLL’s Guide to Video Game/Interactive/Online-based Properties
This sector includes videogames and videogame-based characters; online-originated properties such as virtual worlds, YouTube videos, blogs, webisodic series, Pinterest, Vine, Snapchat, Instagram, and other social media accounts, texting emoticons, and e-mail greeting cards; mobile apps; and other digital properties. In some cases, such as Pokémon, the licensing is split between … [Read more...] about TLL’s Guide to Video Game/Interactive/Online-based Properties
TLL’s Guide to Traditional Toy/Game-based Properties
This sector includes board games, non-electronic toys, and characters that grow out of such toys and games. If the brand has licensing activity tied to films or television programming, that portion would be included under "Entertainment/Character". Click to view Retail Sales of Licensed Merchandise, Based on Traditional Toy/Game Properties. Representative properties: Bakugan, … [Read more...] about TLL’s Guide to Traditional Toy/Game-based Properties
TLL’s Guide to Trademark/Brand-based Properties
The range of corporate brands with licensing programs is enormous. We break out some of the larger sub-groups, including automotive/vehicle, food/beverage, restaurants, sporting goods, hardware/appliance/tool, home-related, electronics/technology, and electronic media. Retail brands, diet/health brands, luggage brands, and additional brand-based properties are aggregated under … [Read more...] about TLL’s Guide to Trademark/Brand-based Properties
TLL’s Guide to Sports-based Properties
Sports licensing incorporates the major U.S. professional leagues for football, baseball, basketball, hockey, and soccer, including both teams and individuals, as well as other leagues (amateur and professional), athletes, and events including NASCAR, golf, extreme sports, tennis, Olympics, mixed martial arts, minor league teams, outdoors-related properties, amateur sports … [Read more...] about TLL’s Guide to Sports-based Properties
TLL’s Guide to Publishing-based Properties
The publishing sector includes three primary areas: Books, newspapers/magazines, and comic books and strips. Licensing of books is dominated by children’s titles and focuses on children’s book characters. However, there are also specialized imprints for adults such as Rand McNally, Berlitz, and For Dummies, and some adult nonfiction authors have launched licensing efforts as … [Read more...] about TLL’s Guide to Publishing-based Properties
TLL’s Guide to Non-Profit-based Properties
Technically, a non-profit is defined by its status as a charitable institution. However, within that broad categorization, non-profit licensing programs tend to focus on healthcare, environmental/nature, animal rescue, and relief/social service organizations. Some non-profit organizations fall into other licensing sectors; non-profit museums are categorized under “Art” and … [Read more...] about TLL’s Guide to Non-Profit-based Properties
TLL’s Guide to Music-based Properties
Musicians and bands, living and dead, are included in “Music.” Apart from merchandise licensing based on the individual or group name or imagery (the Rolling Stones tongue or the Grateful Dead dancing bears, for example), owners of music copyrights grant authorizations to perform or record music. These uses are outside the scope of consumer products licensing unless the usage … [Read more...] about TLL’s Guide to Music-based Properties
TLL’s Guide to Celebrity-based Properties
This sector includes living actors, actresses, models, chefs, business executives, and others. (Musicians, athletes, and artists are categorized under “Music,” “Sports,” and “Art,” respectively.) While many celebrity-based deals include endorsements and promotional tie-ins, we look exclusively at the product licensing generated by these individuals. However, sometimes … [Read more...] about TLL’s Guide to Celebrity-based Properties
TLL’s Guide to Property Types
Properties that are licensed, or with potential for licensing, come from many sources—from art to celebrities, fashion designers to feature films and television programs, sports leagues and personalities to toys, videogames, and food and beverage brands. Although some properties cross over into several sectors, for the most part they are classified under the property type … [Read more...] about TLL’s Guide to Property Types