The REAL World of Licensing . . . Artist Beware!

For as long as I have been in this industry, I have been amazed at how artists are treated as second class citizens by manufacturers/licensees, or as I like to say . . . mushrooms - tell them of the great things you will do for them, keep them in the dark, feed them crap, and they will just do what they are told to do. I cannot tell you how many times each day I strongly urge artists not to take deals, or negotiate better deals in order to look out for themselves, only to find that many do the deal anyway - giving up rights, forgoing copyright rules and regulations, and quite frankly, just get taken advantage of. I am equally surprised to discover how many manufacturers/licensees do this, even those who I have known for years and would never think this possible of them.

I often hear from artists that they have no choice - “I need to make money,” “No other company is stepping up to the plate,” “If I don’t do the deal, someone else will,” “ or the really sad excuse, “I trust them!” I appreciate and understand each of these positions, but urge every artist to stand up for their rights when it comes to their intellectual property. And YES, you have rights and can/should/must ask for them!

I read the attached article and was standing applauding while reading! Please have a look and take in every word, seriously look at your business, and take nothing for granted. Read every single word of any document you are asked to sign - you cannot simply say “I don’t understand legal documents.” You are running a business, your product is your intellectual property, and you MUST defend and fight for what is right. And, always, always, always have an intellectual property attorney review any document before signing. The return on your investment is so worth it! You do not want to have your work “stolen” or misused, you cannot let yourself be taken advantage of, and you cannot allow yourself to believe that the other party will “take care of you” or “never do anything that would be immoral.” Look at this article . . . would you think national retailers like Anthropologie or West Elm would do such a thing? Well . . . they, like so many others, DO!

Please feel free to reach out to me for any advice or counsel I can provide, or share the names of great intellectual property attorneys that understand your needs!

https://www.artsyshark.com/2015/05/05/im-sorry-what-did-you-sign/

ARTIST AND DESIGNER AMY REBER SIGNS WITH IDEAOLOGIE FOR LICENSING!

February 20, 2016— ideaologie, the business advisement firm specializing in dynamic support and multi-faceted expertise for businesses of all sizes, announced today the signing of their newest client, Amy Reber.  For this engagement, ideaologie will be serving in the role as Ms. Reber’s licensing agency of record.

“We had the great fortune to work with Amy as a client of our business advisement services, and the shift to serving as her agent of record seemed to be a logical step,” states Melissa Schulz, co-founder of ideaologie.  “Amy creates art that is dynamic, fresh, modern, and bold with flair, and her heartfelt and fervent love for design shows through in everything she creates.  The realm of possibilities of this lifestyle brand are endless, and we are thrilled to be working with someone so genuine, authentic and prolific.”

ideaologie will be collaborating with Amy to build her brand for a broader audience base, and will create a strategic plan for growth into retail as a lifestyle brand.  Ideaologie will be seeking licensing partners to help grow the business, and set the strategic licensing direction to capture new and untapped potential markets.

“To be working with John and Melissa was meant to be . . . I just know it!” states Amy Reber. “Their positive energy is infectious and they’ve made me feel so comfortable about the future of my business when I’ve sometimes felt like a fish-out-of-water as a newcomer to the industry.  Working with them has helped me shape how I want to move forward as a designer. I am so excited to share my joy of design with others, and my hope is that they will feel a personal connection to me as my art is an extension of who I am and how I view the world!"

To learn more about Amy Reber, please visit her website at http://www.amyreber.com

About Amy Reber

Amy Reber is a multifaceted surface and textile designer from the Pacific Northwest who has a fervent love for drawing, rich colors, pattern and design. Remarkably, she is self-taught and has spent several years evolving and perfecting her bold, authentic illustrations and designs.  As a military spouse and stay-at-home mom to three young children, her journey to becoming an award-winning artist and surface designer has been filled with many valuable insights and experiences that are beyond measure.  With her quintessential and prolific design style, Amy is dedicated to producing fresh, modern, yet timeless designs.  She is elated that she has found such fulfillment and joy in surface design and has a heartfelt desire to inspire and share this joy with others through her work.

On the twelfth day of Christmas...

On the twelfth day of Christmas, ideaologie said to me...
"What is licensing?"

Are you taking full advantage of your intellectual property? Do you know how to leverage your brand for the longterm? With our experience working on all sides of the business, we are a great resource for you!