Beanstalk Breaks Into the Blogging Business

New York, May 8, 2013 – Beanstalk, a leading global brand licensing agency and consultancy, has partnered with digital strategy and execution agency, Digital Brand Architects (DBA), to build a licensing program for two of their most acclaimed digital brands: Bag Snob and Mrs. Lilien. READ MORE...

BIG JOHN Grows in Asia with Beanstalk

London, April 22th, 2013 – BIG JOHN, Japan’s first domestic denim brand, today announced plans to extend the brand in Asia, working with leading global brand licensing agency, Beanstalk READ MORE...

J.C. Penney Faces Brand Identity Crisis on Multiple Fronts

BY MICHAEL STONE, FORBES CMO NETWORK, APRIL 22, 2013 - Like an awkward Hollywood love triangle, the J.C. Penney, Martha Stewart and Macy’s saga continued last week as the three fought over Justice Jeffrey K. Oing’s April 5th decision to temporarily allow J.C. Penney to sell Martha Stewart-designed products under the JCP Everyday label READ MORE...

Oakley v. Rory McIlroy and Nike: Enforcing Rights Of First Refusal In Endorsement Agreements

BY OLIVER HERZFELD, FORBES IP COUNSEL, MARCH 19, 2013 - Sport and lifestyle brand Oakley recently commenced a lawsuit against Rory McIlroy and Nike, claiming McIlroy entered into a broad “head to toe” equipment, apparel and footwear endorsement agreement with Nike in breach of the right of first refusal provision in his prior endorsement agreement with Oakley that expired on December 31, 2012. READ MORE...

Failure To Enforce Trademarks: If You Snooze, Do You Lose?

BY OLIVER HERZFELD, FORBES IP COUNSEL, FEBRUARY 28, 2013 - In the recent case of Abraham v. Alpha Chi Omega, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion regarding a fascinating dispute that involved a failure to enforce trademarks for more than 40 years READ MORE...

Why Kimora Lee Simmons Did Not ‘Lay the Blueprint’ for Celebrity Fashion

BY MICHAEL STONE, FORBES CMO NETWORK, FEBRUARY 12, 2013 - In a recent interview with MSN’s “The Grio,” Kimora Lee Simmons stated she and former husband Russell Simmons “laid the blueprint” for celebrity designed clothing lines. I think I speak for others when I say, really? Ms. Simmons has definitely carved out a place for herself in the fashion world, and I applaud her for that, but to proclaim she is a founding father of sorts in celebrity fashion is a bit presumptuous READ MORE...

Marc Schneider Joins Beanstalk as Chief Financial and Operating Officer

NEW YORK, February 5, 2013 – Beanstalk, a leading global brand licensing agency, today announced the appointment of finance veteran Marc Schneider as Chief Financial Officer. In his role, Schneider will be responsible for all aspects of Beanstalk’s global Finance and Operations including overseeing management of the agency’s best-in-class financial systems and platforms. Schneider will also be the primary liaison to the corporate financial team of Omnicom Group, Beanstalk’s parent company READ MORE...

Chewits Chews Its Way Into Brand Licensing

London, February 4th, 2013 – Chewits, the iconic British confectionery brand owned by Leaf U.K., today announced plans to extend the brand through licensing, represented by leading global brand licensing agency, Beanstalk READ MORE...

Lance Armstrong Will Likely Settle Readers’ Claims — And Admit No Wrongdoing

BY OLIVER HERZFELD, FORBES IP COUNSEL, JANUARY 29, 2013 - Following cyclist Lance Armstrong’s recent, but less than fully contrite, admission to Oprah Winfrey that for more than a decade he (i) used performance enhancing drugs, and (ii) repeatedly made false public statements denying that he did so, on January 22, 2013, a federal class-action lawsuit was filed in California against Armstrong and his book publishers, Penguin and Random House READ MORE...

Top 10 Licensed Brand Extensions of 2012

BY MICHAEL STONE, FORBES CMO NETWORK, JANUARY 23, 2013 - From products based on the heart-pumping novel 50 Shades of Grey, to Band-Aid’s use of an app to create augmented reality featuring the Muppets, to HGTV-branded live plants, 2012 was chock-full of innovative brand extensions. So, before 2013’s brand innovations steal the limelight, let’s take one last look at last year’s best licensed partnerships READ MORE...