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When Can You Use a Licensed Character Mascot Costume
- April 30, 2015
- By Admin : Hogtown Mascots
- Views : 5104 views
What is Character Licensing?
Our expertise and experience means that we can come up with characters tailored to the needs and circumstances of our clients. Once that character is created, there are certain licensing points to be aware of for the on-going use of that character.
Depending on how strictly you want to ensure that your mascot character is associated only with your brand, you have the option of partially or fully licensing that character image. For example, clients can choose to purchase either exclusive rights or usage rights to the characters that we create. Like its name suggests, purchasing exclusive rights means that no one but the client will be able to use the character in the future since we will be turning over its ownership.
In contrast, purchasing usage rights provides you with a license to use the character for marketing purposes such as on your website, brochures, etc. Purchasing non-exclusive usage rights means that other clients will also be able to use the same character for similar purposes.
When Can You Use a Licensed Character Mascot Costume?
Creating a unique character takes a lot of time and effort. As a result, purchasing exclusive rights to a character will make sense for some clients who wish to own that intellectual property. That can sometimes be cost prohibitive which is why we offer the option to purchase usage rights. With this license, our clients can still benefit from a mascot’s marketing power without having to overrun their budgets in the process.
Other than mascot costumes, usage rights range from printed materials and web-based marketing to books, movies and other publications. An obvious advantage to purchasing usage rights is that clients can produce promotional products such as cards, posters, and t-shirts which will make use of the character image and strongly integrate all marketing components.
What Are the Consequences for Using a Licensed Character Mascot without the Right to Do So?
Those who use a mascot character without usage rights, can expect to face much the same penalties as those who use a brand without the brand owner’s permission. As a result, individuals could expect cease & desist letters or even lawsuits, which can lead to serious costs and other consequences. Even if their use of the mascot character caused little harm, the owners have strong incentive to take such actions in order to protect their ownership.
Contact Us
To learn about how our mascot costume services can help you and your organization achieve your goals, you should not hesitate to contact us at your earliest convenience. View our gallery to see some of the mascots we’ve already created.