Amazon Launches New Shoe and Bag Site

Erin Skrypek
January 04th, 2007 @ 1:38 PM - New York
One of the web's largest department stores, Amazon.com, launched a new, separate accessories site called Endless.com on Wednesday, January 3.

Amazon.com may have started out as an online bookstore just over 10 years ago, but it has since flourished into a NASDAQ-traded company that sells everything from used books to food to furniture and also serves as an online catalogue for actual department store chains like Target and Marks & Spencer.

With so much success from the original site, Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon.com, thinks he can now do for shoes and bags what Amazon did for books.

“Endless.com is unusual in that we are offering free overnight shipping on everything,” said Bezos in an earlier released statement. “Plus, return shipping is always free and we offer a 110 percent price guarantee on items customers find cheaper somewhere else.”

Endless.com will offer over 250 brands and 15,000 styles for the whole family, free shipping and free return shipping, effectively making separate trips to Stride Rite, 9West, Kenneth Cole, Steve Madden and others a thing of the past.


http://www.fashionwiredaily.com/first_word/news/article.weml?id=827

I'm not sure if endless.com will launch well. Amazon.com has been around for a while and well known for a bookstore, but I think they're trying to expand thier profits to other departments. With ebay.com as their competition, it will be quite competitive for them. Its a good thing that they're trying to promote special offers such as free shipping and price guarantee. This will attract customers, but if it does fail, I guess they will have to go back to selling books.....

-Vivian Yu

South Korea Bucks the Trend -- No Coffee for you !

Just read an interesting South Korean article about Starbucks in the Korean Times newspaper, which tells us how Starbucks has lost a trade mark infringement suit in South Korea. The South Korean Supreme court upheld a lower court's decision that Elpreya’s STARPREYA round trade mark, consisting of the head of a classical lady, bounded by a green border containing white writing & two stars and the words ‘Starpreya Coffee’, would not cause confusion with the Starbucks trade mark because the trade marks are not considered similar. The court ruled that the words looked different and "Star" is commonly used in trademarks and so it wasn't very distinctive. Moreover, Starbucks' trade mark was found not to be a famous mark. Both companies have been trading in South Korea since 1999.

I honestly didn't find the Court's argument particularly convincing and think it sounds like they are protecting the local Korean company. I agree that if you analyze each element of the two logos bit by bit it’s possible to highlight many differences between them, but a consumer in a hurry will just take a quick glance and will be confronted with two logos of green rims containing white writing and a picture in the middle. This serves as a good lesson for multinationals to study intellectual property protection laws carefully in each country they operate in!
Ritu Dhillon

Link: http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200701/kt2007011219292011980.htm

Stella McCartney to Design for Lesportsac

Save the date!

Starting in spring 2008, the limited edition line of Stella McCartney for LeSportsac travel bags, luggage, and baby accessories (aimed at the lucrative chic young mom market) will go on sale at chichi department stores, ritzy boutiques, Stella McCartney boutiques in London, New York & L.A., and select LeSportsac stores & online. As an avowed vegan & animal rights activist, McCartney is already known for her pricey non-leather shoes & accessories. "LeSportsac has a strong history of making iconic non-leather goods, and this is a unique opportunity for Stella McCartney to address a new category of accessories for the busy woman of today," Marco Bizzarri, CEO & president of Stella McCartney (50% owned by PPR, a subsidiary of the Gucci Group), recently told WWD. "It will give her bags a wider appeal," he explained, noting that this partnership will create a global market for her bags. The LeSportsac bags promise to be well designed and appealing to women, whether they’re sporting a mini-me as an accessory or not. The line will consist of 30-40 styles in the $200 to $250 range. LeSportsac previously teamed up with Gwen Stefani, to great success, while McCartney has already partnered with Adidas (activewear), and H& M (November 2005). In addition to both of her fragrances, her skincare line is set to launch stateside on February 15. This collaboration is another example of the strong, ongoing trend of good design at affordable prices, which Target has enjoyed great success with (Isaac Mizrahi; Proenza Schouler), Gap (Roland Mouret), and H&M (Karl Lagerfeld, Viktor & Rolf).

I found this article to be very interesting because Stella is so famous for her collaboration with other lines such as Adidas and H&M. Its safe to predict that her line of bags will do good as well.

Olga Karaseva

Perry Ellis International Sells Fragrance Portfolio for $63M
By Matthew W. Evans

Perry Ellis International said Monday that it reached a $63 million deal to sell its fragrance inventory and related assets to Falic Fashion Group LLC. Falic has also taken over the worldwide license to manufacture perfumes, fragrances, lotions, toiletries and cosmetics under the Perry Ellis brand.
Expecting the sale of its fragrance business to be accretive to earnings, Perry Ellis raised its 2008 profit guidance by 9 cents per share, and expects earnings to be within the $1.80 to $1.84 range, per fully diluted share. Initial guidance was between $1.71 and $1.75 per share. These agreements will allow Perry Ellis International not only to recoup significantly all of the invested capital utilized for the purchase of assets from Parlux Fragrances Inc., but also to maximize our royalty income from this key product category.

Hi guys I thought this article was interesting on Perry Ellis licensing their fragrance line. It shows how licensing not only benefits the sales and growth of the actual product, but also how some companies will license their products to help the stock of the company. In the article it stated that Perry Ellis was having a hard time selling their perfume this agreement will help position the perfume in the appropriate channels to mirror with the growth of the apparel division. I think Perry Ellis mainly made this business venture to increase their share but it was very smart and they received 63 million dollars in the process.

Jazmine Hasty

Fashion Victim to Refurbish Its Image, Tiffany Risks Profits

January 10, 2007
Wall Street Journal
By Ellen Byron


In the late 1990s, Tiffany & Co.’s silver charm bracelet was a must-have fashion accessory. Teens jammed Tiffany’s hushed stores clamoring for the $110 silver bauble. Sales skyrocketed, investors cheered.
Tiffany’s managers worried. They knew the bracelet had become a fad, one that could alienate the jewelry firm’s older, wealthier, and more conservative clientele. Worse, it could forever damage Tiffany’s reputation for luxury.

“The large number of silver customers did represent a fundamental threat — not just to the business but to the core franchise of our brand,” says Tiffany CEO Michael Kowalski.
So in a dramatic gamble, Tiffany decided to kill its golden goose. In 2002, the firm began hiking prices on its fast-growing, highly profitable line of cheaper silver jewelry. It simultaneously introduced pricier jewelry collections, renovated stores and showed off its craftsmanship by highlighting spectacular gems like a $2.5 million pink diamond ring.

Here you go ladies and gentlemen, a lesson in over licensing your product. Tiffany's, known for their exquisite fine jewelry, has raised the price on most of their lower-end sterling silver. Why? Image of course! Many women who once adored Tiffany's accessories are now looking at the product as mere accessories for teenagers. Young ladies could be seen strutting the streets showing off their Tiffany charm bracelets. Also, to add to the demand, Elle Woods, in the popular "Legally Blonde," movies sported this same style accessory. Many companies must beware of their target market without trying to cater to every consumer. As a result, Tiffany's is now targeting back to their more affluent customers spending much more money on diamonds rather than sterling silver. As the article states, Burberry has reached out to many consumer groups as well by providing products from plaid handbags to umbrellas. I believe that Tiffany's move will potentially make them a stronger more profitable company. Trying to target a high end market as well as a lower one can cause the perceived value of a product to decrease. Wealthy women willing to dish out a couple thousand for a Tiffany's branded necklace want it to be original, not overdone. Many companies fall victim to over licensing their product and suffer in the long run when their wealthier consumers head elsewhere.

Jackie Webb

http://www.kurtsalmon.com/content/main/body/company_info/pressroom/KSA_news.htm

Apple's Lawyers Keep Busy With iPhone

Posted in Apple, iPhone by Chris Weber on January 15th, 2007
This story could also be titled “Attack of the Clones.” Apple is feverishly trying to fend off imitators and copycat sites that have created user interfaces for other mobile devices that resemble the iPhone’s interface just a little too much. Apple likes attention but not this kind of attention.
One such site, modaco.com, posted a cease and desist email supposedly from Apple’s attorneys. The text of the email says, “It has come to our attention that you have posted a screenshot of Apple’s new iPhone and links that facilitate the installation of that screenshot on a PocketPC device.” It continues, “While we appreciate your interest in the iPhone, the icons and screenshot displayed on your website are copyrighted by Apple, and copyright law explicitly prohibits unauthorized display and distribution of copyrighted works.”
http://www.slipperybrick.com/2007/01/apple-iphone-copy-skins/
I thought this article was good because it talks about how other companies are trying to make products that copy the Apple iPhone. The article talks about the different patents and copyrights laws. It also discusses how some companies think the parts of the phone that they copyrighted are questionable. It ties in to what we're doing it class because it tells you the difference between a copyright and a patent.
John Pruzinsky

Levi's Turns to Suing Its Rivals

The New York Times

By MICHAEL BARBARO and JULIE CRESWELL
Published: January 29, 2007
United States Patent and Trademark No. 1,139,254 is not much to look at: a pentagon surrounding a childlike drawing of a seagull in flight.

But the design for a Levi’s pocket, first used 133 years ago, has become the biggest legal battleground in American fashion.

This is a fabulous article, extremely relevant to what we are discussing in class. I would love to know what you guys think of all this? Do you think Levi's should be spending their time searching for imitations in department stores or focus their time more diligently on developing their fairly new premium denim line Capital E? Do you think Levi's is blaming others for their lack of success? Or do you believe they are valid in their arguments? I have to admit that Jones Apparel as well as Jelessy Jeans REALLY resemble "a pentagon surrounding a childlike drawing of a seagull in flight". What do you think it is inspirations or imitation?

~Jacqueline Glokler~

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/29/business/29jeans.htmlex=157680000&en=202a9d5c9521a3d1&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

A license to model

The Camera della Moda Nazionale, Italy's Chamber of Fashion, has proposed that models must acquire a license before being able to walk in Milan next season. To receive a license, which guarantees that the model is healthy, the model must be at least 16 years of age, have a BMI of at least 18.5, and be assessed by the Chamber itself, the Association of Fashion Services ASSEM, and a group of doctors, nutritionists, psychologists, and other scientific experts. Interestingly enough, geographical and ethnic factors that affect body type will be taken into consideration. No word yet on how the Council of Fashion Designers of America plans to address the issue, but Didier Grumbach, who heads Paris' Chambre Syndicale, has said that he has no plans to "regulate something that functions."


I believe that fashion models are definitely part of the problem for anorexia and other body image disorders. I think it's stupid how some people are defensive for the fashion industry. I mean, hello. about 3 models have died from anorexia in the past few months. what kind of denial are you living in?
And also, a BMI of 18.5 isn't "too high" as someone put it. it's the normal BMI standard. what's this defensiveness for towards the fashion industry? is the success of the industry based on skeleton-like women wearing clothes? gee, I didn't know skeletons wore clothes. I thought skeletons meant that the person is dead which is what happens to a lot of young women and girls with eating disorders. Just hearing people criticize this new license to model is so disgusting. I hope none of yall get to decide who gets to walk on the catwalk.It's really sad because they're really young! I'm glad that this is finally going to happen but I think the 18 BMI is too high. You can still be like 17 or 16.5 and be healthy! I guess the problem is a lot of these girls aren't naturally that thin or they start out at 12 and when their bodies naturally become more womanly the agents are evil people, and tell them to loose weight. I think an examination and an age limit is the best way to regulate the girls. I really seriously doubt it will ever go to Paris or New york though.

Fama Sow

Twentieth Century Fox Names Brand Licensing Director

20th Century Fox

HOLLYWOOD, January 4: Mike Baron has been appointed to the position of director of brand licensing and business development at Twentieth Century Fox.

Baron will be in charge of key Fox licensing properties, including Fox Sports, Speed Channel and IGN’s intellectual properties such as AskMen.com.

Before his new appointment, Baron spearheaded licensing and promotional initiatives at Fox Sports and Fox Sports Net. Prior to joining Fox Sports, Baron served as President of Eidolon Global LLC/Baron2, where he managed the company’s apparel and merchandise manufacturing business.

Natori to Launch Josie Foundations


The Natori Co. has signed a licensing agreement with Dana-co Apparel Group to produce a collection of bras and coordinating panties bearing the Josie name for spring 2008.

The deal is a further extension of the Natori firm's existing licensing pact with Dana-co to manufacture and merchandise bras by Natori and Josie Natori, as well as microfiber undies that are marketed in point-of-sale materials and hangtags as the Natori Underneath collection. Natori Underneath is part of the Natori Black Label line.

Neither officials at Dana-co nor Josie Natori, chairman and chief executive officer of the Natori company, would give a first-year wholesale sales projection. But branded bras by Josie might generate first-year revenues of $3 million to $5 million, according to industry estimates. Total wholesale volume of Natori foundations and panties is estimated at $20 million. This is in addition to annual revenues of about $40 million generated from daywear, sleepwear, robes and at-homewear by the Natori company.

Hey everyone, I thought this sounded kind of interesting, feel free to read more about it at http://www.wwd.com/search/article/112238?query=licensing+deals... the deal sounds like it will bring in alot of revenue for the company.

Kristen Carnie

Riding hip jeans into new luxury markets

A new generation of denim firms are launching upscale lifestyle brand.

By Reena Jana

Updated: 6:47 p.m. CT Jan 22, 2007
You might think that for a young brand, netting $100 million in sales of $100-plus jeans is a sure sign of success. And indeed, labels such as True Religion, Rock & Republic, Citizens of Humanity, and 7 for All Mankind have graced the pages of fashion bibles like Vogue and Elle, and are sold in high-end stores from Saks to Barneys New York.

But for this new generation of fashion startups, "premium"—or $100-plus—jeans are just the springboard for launching upmarket lifestyle brands. Many are entering 2007 by offering expanded lines of clothes, accessories, outerwear, eyewear—even a hotel—that they hope will boost customer loyalty and fully establish them as multicategory brands.

A new status symbol
The success of these ambitious young jeans makers, who have seen sales double or triple in the past year, stands in particular contrast to the fate of the well-known traditional jeans maker, Gap, which is floundering with falling sales and talk of a buyout. In fewer than 10 years, these companies have effectively — and collectively — established a new category that's not quite luxury, and not quite downmarket weekend wear, but something in between.

"Consumers now see blue jeans as an investment and will pay more for them. They're a staple in a person's work wardrobe. Steve Jobs of Apple is always photographed wearing jeans," says James Sullivan, author of Jeans: A Cultural History of an American Icon (Gotham Books, 2006).

Sales of premium denim provide proof of jeans' popularity. True Religion, for example, saw net sales increase 41.8%, to $109.3 million, in the nine-month period ending Sept. 30, 2006, up from $77.1 million in the same period the year before. These are striking figures, especially compared to those from the company's first year in business. True Religion brought in $2 million in 2003.

Lifestyle branding
The company recently announced licensing agreements for scarves, footwear, and outerwear, making clear its intention to become a global lifestyle brand. And Rock & Republic, which saw estimated growth of 270% in 2006 from its $100 million sales in 2005, launched an accessories line of men's and women's shoes, bags, and eyewear at the end of last year. The company expects to expand into cosmetics and even a chic Rock &Republic boutique hotel in 2007.

"Adding accessories and clothing to build a lifestyle brand can work for those jeans companies with a strong customer following," observes Marshal Cohen, a retail analyst with market researcher NPD Group. "To be a one-trick pony in today's world is risky and limits growth, which every company in any market is judged on. But the brand has to be strong, otherwise the expansion is capricious."
And although the company is going downmarket, it is also following the lifestyle trend among its competitors by launching outerwear, sweaters, shirts, and other items targeted to a more mass-market audience.

Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16756665/


Since the past couple of years, denim firms made their labels grace the pages of Vogue and Elle, many are entering 2007 expanding their lines of clothing, accessories, outerwear and even eyewear. Consumers now see blue jeans as an investment and will pay more for them. True Religion recently announced licensing agreements for scarves, footwear and outerwear so that consumers can see its intentions of becoming a global lifestyle brand.
-Vivian Yu

Calvin and Windsong

For all you golf lover out there, Calvin Klein is doing a licensing deal with windsong for a golf line. This means that you will see that well known CK logo on golf shirt pant jacket and shoe. Windsong has as done licensing deals with other famous names like Geoffrey Beene. The price for the golf apparel will be form 80 to 225 so it pretty affordable. So if you want to look good on the golf course you might want to look into this new line!!


Published: Friday, January 26, 2007
Calvin Klein Tees Off With Windsong
By Marc Karimzadeh
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Divergent Strategies: VF Focuses on Lifestyle As Buffett Grows Fruit
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Carhartt Adds Women's Line To Assortment

PVH 3Q Profits Gain 26%
Executive Moves For Calvin Klein
Dec. Buys: Gifts, Galas and GetawaysNEW YORK — Calvin Klein Inc. is stepping onto the fairway.CKI inked a licensing deal with Windsong Sport LLC, the division of the Windsong Allegiance Group, to launch the Calvin Klein Golf collection. Windsong will manufacture and distribute the line, which will be part of the company's better-priced white label assortment and include women's and men's golf apparel as well as accessories. Windsong Sport president Fran Matthews also will become president of the company's new Calvin Klein Golf division.Kevin Carrigan, creative director for ck Calvin Klein and the better-priced Calvin Klein white label, will work on the line, which takes its cues from the clean, modernist aesthetic of the brand, with a main focus on knits, including sweaters, pants, shorts and outerwear, as well as golf accessories and shoes. On average, recommended retail price points for the women's Calvin Klein Golf line range from $80 to $100 for pants, $100 to $225 for sweaters and $75 to $80 for knits.Windsong Sport owns activewear brands such as Como Sport, Pivot Rules and Navy Cutter, and markets licensed lines for Geoffrey Beene, Alexander Julian Colours and Alexander Julian Private Reserve. "We have been very impressed with Windsong's expertise in the golf industry," Tom Murry, CKI's president and chief operating officer, said in a statement. The line is being previewed at The International PGA Merchandise Show, which opened on Thursday at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. It is expected to launch for the next holiday season, with distribution projected at 250 upscale golf specialty stores in the U.S. for the first year. Windsong also is building a special showroom for Calvin Klein Golf at its sales office here at 1410 Broadway.

ROSSO ACQUIRES SOPHIA KOKOSALAKI

Renzo Rosso, owner of the Diesel Brand has announced that he has acquired the British Sophia Kokosalaki brand, and will add it to his group Only The Brave, Srl. The purchase was handled through Rossos Staff International, the manufacturing arm of Only The Brave. Staff also controls prestigious labels Martin Margiela and DSquared, as well as Diesel.
Kokosalaki designs her own eponymous label, which is shown in Paris, as well as serves as creative director of the couture label Madeleine Vionnet, which is being relaunched. The first collection to be manufactured under this new arrangement will be shown for fall/ winter 2007 in Paris.


I thought this article was intresting becausee the two brands are very differentt and it would be intresting to see if Rosso would change Kokosalaki's line.
Olga Karaseva

True Religion Opens Doors TRUE RELIGION OUTERWEAR

Hey everyone, I thought this was interesting considering most people know True Religion for their jeans. I wouldnt really expect them to come out with an outdoor clothing line, but Hey! check it out. Mabye True Religion will be the next big outterwear company next year?!?

-Kristen Carnie

In Brief: True Religion Deals... Contreri Memorial Set... Union Taps Creative Director

True Religion Opens Doors TRUE RELIGION OUTERWEAR: Seeking to move beyond premium denim into lifestyle apparel, Los Angeles' True Religion signed a worldwide licensing agreement with Pash Industries LLC to produce and sell outerwear for men, women and children. New York-based Pash, which owns brands such as Ramosport US, French Coat and Tryst New York, will design and market leather clothing and outerwear made of shearling, down, wool, cotton twill, washed cotton and cotton canvas. Pash plans to begin shipping the line in July. The deal follows True Religion's announcement in November of its first-ever licensing deals with Italy's GMI Corp. for footwear, as well as with Bourbon, Mo.-based Paramount Apparel International Inc. for headwear, scarves and gloves.

For the full article click here: http://www.wwd.com/search/article/111898?query=licensing

Merger For American Apparel

Sally Grover - All Headline News Contributor
Los Angeles, CA (AHN) - Management may be changing but the ethics behind American Apparel is staying the same.
Endeavor Acquisition Corp has finalized a $244 million deal to buy the previously private company. And while new owners will be coming in to shake things up, insiders believe the foundations that have made the business successful will be staying.
Company founder, Dov Charney, who began the T-shirt and sweats label seven years ago, will continue to stay on board.
Under Charney's leadership, employees were some of the best looked after in the industry.
Jennifer Black, an independent equity analyst specializing in retail and apparel says, "I'm assuming that the reason he's had this philosophy is to have loyal employees. If he can prove to investors that he really does get that out of employees and that it does go right to the bottom line, then I think it's going to work."
American Apparel employs are given medical benefits, including in-house massages, and pay of around $12.50 per hour, despite their heritage.
Charney says a motivation behind the merge is expansion. He said, "We wanted access to the capital to further expand our vision and add more professionalism, while still being the contrarian company we are."
The company, which prides itself on being sweatshop free, is flying the American flag in 143 stores in 11 different countries.

Hey everyone!!
American Apparel is such a popular company.I thought this article would be interesting to everyone. American Apparel is the largest garment manufacturer in the United States.I was just so amazed to find out Dov Charney sold his company,but he will continue to be part of it. Even though American Apparel is under new management, I am glad to know that the company will stay with its original image....that was the smart way to go.

Stephanie Carcamo

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7005923775

Fashion Industry Fights Imitation

Hi girls, I found this article in the January issue of Harper's Bazaar. Diane von Furstenberg, new President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) has made it her mission to help designers protect their precious intellectual property:

"The situation has gotten a bit out of control thanks to the Internet. Pirates can now ship copies of a collection before the designer can show it to buyers. They even boast about it on TV."

Design piracy basically means a counterfeit without a label attached to it. Current American legal protection exists only against counterfeiting and not design piracy. To fight imitation, the CFDA is lobbying Congress to pass the Design Piracy Prohibition Act. The new Act allows designers three months to copyright their design from the moment they are shown publicly. After registration, it will be protected for three years.

I think if this law is passed, it would be a great victory for the toiling, creative minds in the Fashion industry.
Ritu Dhillon

EBay Profit Rises 24% on Strong Holiday Business

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 24 — EBay, the Internet auction giant, has scored at least a temporary victory over the mounting pressures facing its business.
The company announced this afternoon that its fourth-quarter net income rose 24 percent, to $346 million, or 25 cents a share, from the comparable period in 2005, exceeding analysts’ estimates. EBay said its revenues totaled $1.7 billion in the latest quarter, a 29 percent jump from the fourth quarter of 2005, largely because of increased business in its core auction marketplace during the holiday months.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/24/business/24cnd-ebay.html?ref=busines

In essence this article is about how eBay is doing financalcomparedrd to itcompetitorsrs, Google, Amazon, and Yahoo. The stats show the ups and down the company is having.

I think that even with the thoughts of failure and other things that might not work for the company, eBay will stay in the market and keep profits up. Their paypal sub company icompetitionng with google, and their clashing is a good rivalry. Only time show us what will happen.

Rahul Zala

Fashion and Technology Merge in the New Abacus Smart Watch 2006

Fashion and Technology Merge in the New Abacus Smart Watch










Microsoft Corp.'s Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT) initiative today launched the next generation of Smart Watches for MSN Direct: the Abacus Smart Watch 2006. These newest watches feature double the storage capacity of previous watches, improved download speed, a thinner bezel and several stylish bands.

Abacus Offers More Styles, Choices
From Fossil Inc., one of the original providers of Smart Watches, the new Abacus Smart Watch 2006 is the next evolution of the Smart Watch category. It features a metal bezel and a choice of watch bands: black leather, brown crocodile leather, green fabric, classic metal or modern metal. In addition to the new styles, with the increased storage capacity and download speed, wearers of the Abacus Smart Watch 2006 can download even more MSN Direct channels, providing them with additional value and a wide range of choices.

The new Abacus Smart Watch 2006 is now available online at Brookstone.com, Amazon.com and MSNDirect.com for $179 MSRP (all prices are U.S.), which includes a one-year subscription to the MSN Direct Smart Plan (a $39.95 value). The MSN Direct Smart Plan features content such as news, weather, sports scores, stock quotes, movie times, traffic (in beta and where available), daily diversions, horoscopes, lottery results, and downloadable watch faces including special holiday-themed faces. For an additional $20 per year, consumers can receive their MSN Messenger personal messages and Microsoft Office Outlook calendar sync.


I think this is a very interesting merge. This article is about a mix of fashion and tecnology with a watch and microsoft. It seems like a cool idea for people who would use this, but when i googled the watch I was shocked to see how unfashionable it really was! I believe that they could of thought of a way to make it look more fashionable and not boring. The price is not expensive but I think the annual payments will not draw customers.


--- Renata Levin

Christina Aguilera signs new fragrance deal with Procter & Gamble

Procter & Gamble and US singer, Christina Aguilera have signed an international licensing agreement to create Aguilera fragrances.
The fragrance, expected to be for women, should be available at the end of this year. Financial terms were not disclosed.
"We are thrilled and proud to partner with Christina, one of the most accomplished and recognized international performers of the last decade," commented Heike Hindenlang, Global Marketing Director Prestige Products. "She is an inspiration and a role model to women of all ages. Her fragrances will attract new consumers into the fragrance market and further enrich our portfolio"
This article was really interesting to me because we have been talking in class about how celebrities create their own brand. Celebrities are expanding their careers getting into different industries. Christina Aguilera is one of the many that is now creating her own fragrance line by signing a license agreement with Proctor & Gamble.
Alexandra Artim

Check out the full article..
http://www.basenotes.net/industry_news/20070112aguilera.html

YouTube signs content deals with big players

Associated Press Oct 9, 2006:
NEW YORK - YouTube Inc. announced deals Monday to license content from two major record companies just hours before the wildly popular video Web site agreed to be bought by Google Inc.

YouTube reached deals with Vivendi’s Universal Music Group and Sony BMG Music Entertainment that will let the Web site post music videos and content from users that includes copyrighted material in exchange for sharing ad revenue.

“YouTube is committed to balancing the needs of the fan community with those of copyright holders,” said Chad Hurley, chief executive of YouTube.

Hey Everyone, I thought this article would be perfect for our blog because i'm sure most of us use YouTube, and we had discused this topic in class. I think its a great deal for YouTube as well as the other comanies involved. YouTube now avoids copyright infringement fights with the entertainment industry and lowers substantially the downside risk, in reurn Vivendi, Sony, and CBS receive revenue from advertising sponsorships of the content of the webpage. Check out the full article at the website bellow!

MICHELE PICCOLINO

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15196228/

Big Labels Offer Free Music to College Students

Hey, I thought this article was interesting because it has to do with copyrighted music. Since people are always illegally downloading music, this one website came up with a way you can download music for free if your a college student.
By Saul Hansell
Published:January 22, 2007
In one more attempt to counter music piracy, major music labels have agreed to support a service that will offer free music downloads - with some substantial restrictions - to any college student.
The service, from Ruckus Network, will be supported by advertising on its Web site and on the software used to download and play songs. The four major labels and several independant labels have agreed to license their music to Ruckus at a lower rate then they charge mass market music services on the theory that college students would rather steal songs then pay $10 to $15 a month that such services normally charge.
John Pruzinsky
LINK

Copyrights Keep TV Shows off DVD

WKRP in Cincinnati was one of the most popular television shows of the late '70s and early '80s, but it is unlikely ever to be released on DVD because of high music-licensing costs. The show, which centered on a fledging radio station with a nerdy news director and wild disc jockeys, had a lively soundtrack, playing tunes from rock 'n' rollers like Ted Nugent, Foreigner, Elton John and the Eagles. For many TV shows, costs to license the original music for DVD are prohibitively high, so rights owners replace the music with cheaper tunes, much to the irritation of avid fans. And some shows, like WKRP, which is full of music, will probably never make it to DVD because of high licensing costs.

I thought this story was relevant to what we have been discussing in class. Since music is the biggest craze that has led to many lawsuits against a variety of music downloading centers. I found this interesting because, one of the largest television shows incorporated the “greatest hits” of that era. Unfortunately due to such high licensing costs the show will most likely never be able to be seen at the freedom of the loyal viewers.
Article by Katie Dean

Lauren Barnett

Independent record labels sign MySpace deal

By Kate Holton
Jan 21, 2007 — CANNES, France (Reuters) - Merlin, the new agency representing the world's independent music sector, has agreed a deal with digital music company Snocap which will allow its labels' music to be sold from Web sites such as MySpace.The group announced the deal at the annual MidemNet music conference in France, saying it would allow thousands of independent labels across the world to sell digital downloads of their music from their MySpace pages and other sites.
Snocap, founded by Napster creator Sean Fanning, will use its retail initiative called Mystore which enables music to be downloaded from Web sites. The Mystore and MySpace tie up will launch in the "near future."

I thought this article is an interesting article about myspace because these days everyone young and old has caught onto the Myspace craze. This licensing merge shows how large the website is getting and how Myspace is here to stay for awhile. I believe Snocap was really smart for picking up on this business merge. Myspace one of the most popular websites and this will allow Snocap a chance to really get their name in the marketplace plus a big boost in profits. The music will be sold and Myspace, I also thought it was interesting the downloads will be sold in the MP3 format, meaning they can be played on any portable music player including the iPod which itunes doesn’t offer. I think this will be really profitable for the company and will add to the Myspace phenomenon. Plus who doesn't like music!

Jazmine Hasty

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=2811316

Pitti: McQueen's Florentine Moment

Godfrey Deeny

Friday January 12

Florence - Though he personally was nowhere near Pitti, the giant men's wear and accessories trade show that opened in Florence, Italy this week, the trade fair is turning out to be a very good one for Alexander McQueen, whose latest selection of sneakers for Puma and debut luggage line for Samsonite attracted a huge throng of media and buyers.

Puma officials at one stage closed the McQueen section for Italian TV but most of the day it was packed with the curious and the commercially minded checking out the designer's latest footwear.

For next season, McQueen themed the footwear around his human cat concept, the part black panther part super athlete figure used in advertising, whose profile appeared etched onto sneakers or printed inside trainers...

In a separate Pitti pavilion, Samsonite Black Label displayed McQueen's new line for the American luggage brand.

A canny mix of high-tech and gothic futurism, the standout piece was a wheelie-weekend case that mimicked a rib cage, based on a mould from a real man. Ergonomic, thoroughly new and even done in black crocodile, these were statement pieces of luggage reflecting the designer's edgy aesthetic. To underline, one had only to look at the ad, shot by artist Sam Taylor Wood. It showed a white, men's rib case on the beach with Alexander emerging in a white shirt from the waves.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/fwd/20070113/en_fashion_fwd/pittimcqueensflorentinemoment

This article features information on the latest news coming from Alexander McQueen's collaboration with Puma and Samsonite Luggage. McQueen teamed up with both companies giving them each unique and stylish designs with quite an edge.

Jackie Webb

LG Electronics introduce Prada Mobile Phone

Thursday, January 18, 2007
Prada phone
LG Electronics introduced its Prada mobile phone today. Designed in collaboration with the Italian fashion design firm, the device uses an entirely touch screen-based interface similar, some say, to the iPhone. The phone is slated to launch next month in Europe for approximately €600 (US$775), followed by China, Singapore, and Korea. No plans to bring it to the US have been announced. From InfoWorld:

PrdaphoneA comparison of the tech-specs reveals that the Apple product is superior in several areas, including screen resolution, data networking ability, and internal memory although the Prada phone does offer at least one thing missing from the iPhone: a memory card slot...

The phone is the product of a design collaboration between the two companies. Prada not only had input on the phone's exterior but also on key elements of the user interface, including the touch interface, ring tones and pre-loaded content. LG didn't disclose any further details of what content will be present on the device.

This article is about Prada and LG creating a Mobile phone which is very similar to the new iPhone.

Courtney De Witt

First Assignment--Licensing Report

Spring 2007