Trademark Licensing Services

Trademark licensing, run from the brand owner’s side

Your trademarks are assets. Licensing puts them to work: a partner makes and sells products under your marks, you set the rules, and you earn royalties on every sale. Garfield Agency designs and runs trademark licensing programs for brand owners in Los Angeles and across the West Coast, drawing on Bruce Garfield’s 23+ years managing licensing for Honda, Acura and their family of brands.

We represent the owner of the intellectual property. Our job is to make the program earn and to make protect the brand from infringement while licensed products build its equity.

Repeated Supreme box logo on white product packaging, a trademark applied to licensed goods

What a licensing program includes

A licensing program is a set of decisions and agreements that work together:

  • Asset inventory. Which word marks, logos, designs, slogans, characters and trade dress you own, where they are registered, and which classes of goods they cover.
  • Category strategy. Where the brand has permission to travel with its customers, and where an extension would confuse or cheapen it.
  • Licensee profile. The manufacturing capability, distribution, retail relationships and financial footing a partner needs in each category.
  • Deal terms. Territory, channels, term, exclusivity, royalty rate and base, advances and guaranteed minimums, marketing commitments and approval rights.
  • Oversight. Product and packaging approvals, royalty reporting, audit rights and a plan for unlicensed use.

How royalties are structured

Most agreements pay the licensor a percentage of the licensee’s net sales of licensed products. Rates vary by category, channel and the strength of the brand. Many agreements add an advance paid at signing and a guaranteed minimum royalty so the licensor is protected if sales lag. Some partnerships use flat fees, per unit royalties or revenue share, especially in games and digital goods.

We model these options against the partner’s plan and the value of the mark, and we negotiate definitions carefully. What counts as net sales, which deductions are allowed and when payment is due often matter as much as the headline rate.

Finding the right licensees

The best licensee for a brand is not always the biggest. We look for partners whose product quality, channels and customers match the brand, and who have the capacity to meet their commitments. Bruce’s contacts across gaming, toys, merchandise, apparel and automotive, built over decades of managing partners for Honda, give clients a starting network, and the agency has exhibited at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, where brand owners and manufacturers meet.

Why West Coast brands work with us

California and the West are home to automotive and aftermarket culture, game studios, streetwear and entertainment brands whose marks carry real value in licensed categories. Garfield Agency is based in Los Angeles, close to those industries.

Questions we hear

How long does a trademark license last?

Terms are negotiated. Many consumer products licenses run for a few years with renewal options tied to performance, and the agreement sets out what happens to inventory when the term ends.

Do I need a registered trademark to license it?

Registration is strongly recommended before licensing because it defines what you own and where. Your trademark attorney can advise on registration and clearance; we build the program around what is protected.

What is a guaranteed minimum royalty?

A floor the licensee agrees to pay over a period regardless of actual sales. It protects the licensor and signals that the licensee is committed to selling the product.

Can I license my brand in some categories and keep others?

Yes. Licenses are usually granted by product category, channel and territory, so a brand can license apparel to one partner and keep accessories in house or with another partner.

Do you work with brands outside California?

Garfield Agency is located in Los Angeles and serves brand owners on the West Coast, with partnership opportunities worldwide.

Garfield Agency provides licensing strategy and business services. It is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. For trademark filings, clearance opinions and litigation, work with a licensed attorney.

Related services

Talk with Bruce about your brand

Tell us what you own, what you want it to do, and where you want it sold.