This note is written by Scott Sillcox in fall 2023 in response to a lot of readers asking me two questions:
A. You wrote and posted many of your blog postings several years ago, is the info still relevant today? Short answer - absolutely! The basics of sports licensing change very little over the years, so I strongly suggest that if you are trying to learn about sports licensing, read away! I have also tried to update certain areas where there have been significant changes, so I feel comfortable in telling you that this information is still highly relevant.
B. You mention that you are a consultant and might be able to help me, do you still do consulting? Short answer - absolutely! I work in the licensing field virtually every day of my life, so if you have questions or would like my help, contact me! The two primary ways I work are hourly telephone consulting ($175US/hour) and face-to-face meetings where I come right to your office for a full day ($1500US/day + $650 travel expenses).
Many thanks and happy reading -
Scott Sillcox
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1. Licensing Royalty Rates, by Gregory J. Battersby + Charles W. Grimes
- In the "Who'd have thought it" category, check out a book called "Licensing Royalty Rates – 2011 Edition" - a remarkable effort that seems to cover royalty rate information for a massive variety of licensed products (not only sports). Please see this Google Books link or search for the “Licensing Royalty Rates” + authors Battersby + Grimes. It's a bit pricier than your normal book - somewhere in the $750 range(!!!), but I suppose worth it for a handful of world-wide licensed products companies.
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2. Getting Permission, by Richard Stim
- The subtitle is “Using copyrighted materials? Get permission and stay legal”. The book description goes on to say “If you plan to use any copyrighted material for your own purposes, you need to get permission first from the owners of that work. If you don't, you could find yourself slapped with an expensive and time-consuming lawsuit. Getting Permission tackles the permissions process head-on - without the legalese. It shines the light on whom to ask for permission, as well as when - and how much to expect - to pay for permission. Getting Permission includes agreements for acquiring authorization to use text, photographs, artwork, and music, whether it's found online or off. All agreements included as tear-outs and on CD-ROM.” The book covers the following subjects: - the permissions process - the public domain - copyright research - fair use - academic permissions - the elements of a license and merchandise agreement - the use of a trademark or fictional character
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3. Royalty Rates for Licensing Intellectual Property, by Russell L. Parr
- “Royalty Rates for Licensing Intellectual Property” includes critical information on financial theory, rules of thumb, industry guidelines, litigation based royalty rates, and tables of actual rates from real deals for different industries.
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4. The Business of Sports, by Scott Rosner and Kenneth Shropshire
- In this 2004 book, Rosner and Shropshire say about the NHL “As in the other three leagues, all teams have granted NHL Enterprises the exclusive right to license and use their marks. In exchange, all… teams receive an equal share of income from those marketing, licensing, and sponsorship deals. Like in other leagues, NHL teams retain limited rights to sell and license those marks. NHL teams are allowed to license their own marks within a seventy-five mile radius of their respective arenas.” - It seems to me any book that discusses the 75 mile radius “rule” is likely to be a fairly well researched book.
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5. Sport Marketing, by Bernard James Mullin + Stephen Hardy + William A. Sutton
- First published in 2000 and re-printed several times since. A especially good chapter is Chapter 9 – Licensed and Branded Merchandise.
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6. Principles and Practice of Sport Management by Lisa Masteralexis + Carol Barr + Mary Hums
- First published in 1998 and re-printed several times since. An especially applicable chapter is Chapter 18: The Sporting Goods and Licensed Products Industries (Pages 382-398 in the 2nd Edition).
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7. The "Basics of Licensing" Book Series by Greg Battersby and Danny Simon
- Co-authored by two industry pioneers with a combined 60-plus years of licensing experience, the Basics series explores all aspects of establishing and running a licensing program from the perspectives of different types of licensing professionals. Whether the reader is a licensor or a licensee, a licensing agent or a manufacturer’s rep, the novice and veteran alike will gain proven, practical insights on how to maximize their position in the world of licensing. From the fundamentals of securing intellectual property rights, to the finer points of contract negotiation, product development, marketing strategy and more, each volume includes Appendices featuring useful administrative templates and licensing form agreements derived from actual transactions.
- The series begins with the original Basics of Licensing (revised and updated to include the most current industry survey data from 2012), is followed by the sequel Basics of Licensing: Licensee Edition and continues with the upcoming Basics of Licensing: International Edition (available June 2013).
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8.
License Magazine – North American based
New York, NY office
641 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Ph: 212-951-6600
Fax: 212-951-6714
Santa Monica, CA office
2501 Colorado Ave. Suite 280
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Ph: 310-857-7500
Fax: 310-857-7510
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9.
Total Licensing Magazine – British based
Total Licensing magazine (4x/year)
Total Brand Licensing magazine (4x/year)
The Licensing Book
Licensing report - an online weekly newsletter
plus a half dozen other regional mags around the world
Summary of publications and back issues
Total Licensing Ltd.
4 Wadhurst Business Park
Faircrouch Lane, Wadhurst
East Sussex. TN5 6PT, UK
Ph: +44 (0)1892 78 2220
Fax: +44 (0)1892 78 2226
www.totallicensing.com
Francesca Ash, Publisher francesca@totallicensing.com
Becky Ash, Editor becky@totallicensing.com
10.
BEL
Brand Extensions & Licensing Worldwide Magazine
Goran Kernyak
Publisher / Editor-in-Chief
bel@belmag.biz
belmag.biz
11.
Raugust Communications - a great source of licensing information and a twice weekly blog - subscribe for free here:
Thanks!
Scott
