Art Licensing Resource: Networking in Linkedin

LinkedIn.com is the largest professional and business-orientated social networking internet website with over 90 million registered users. In linkedin people can connect with past and present colleagues, find connections when looking for jobs or business opportunities, and network with industry experts that are willing to share advice. On it are hundreds of forums (groups) that focus on specific interests and concerns including groups for artists and designers. Three main groups on linkedin that concern art licensing are "The Art of Licensing," "Greeting Card, Stationery & Gift Industry Gurus," and the newly created "CopyRights - Artist's Rights." This is where artists, licensing agents and manufacturers connect to one another. Information about these groups are listed below.

A person needs to join linkedin before joining any of its groups. By entering art related information in your linkedin profile about your education, past and present jobs, website, blog, etc., other linkedin members can learn about you, your qualifications and experience. Individuals belonging to a group can start a discussion by asking questions, post comments to other discussions, post links to internet articles that are appropriate to the group, or just follow the discussions without participating. Note: By regularly participating in the discussions and gaining visibility in the groups some artists have been "discovered" by manufacturers and received licensing contracts.


Art of Licensing
(moderated by artist Cherish Flieder)

Dedicated to Licensors (Artists, Illustrators, Designers, Licensing Agents) and Licensees (Product Manufacturers, Producers, Media Members, Corporations) in the ART LICENSING industry. Network with thousands of Art of Licensing members, exchange helpful ideas, links & resources, report on trade shows, trends, share info on marketing, copyrighting & licensing processes. Also, join the PR subgroup to share your company news and press releases in real time.

Greeting Card, Stationery & Gift Industry Gurus
(moderated by Andy Meehan, president at Development Solutions Global Inc.)

Seeking to enhance the networking links of sales, marketing, product development and sourcing people from these related industries and to help entrepreneurs gain access to industry knowledge and 'how to's". Find resources, get advice, learn, expand horizons, be exposed to thinking differently... Whether you work for a manufacturer, sales rep, retailer or other industry discipline we look forward to hearing your questions, ideas and points of view!

CopyRights - Artist's Rights
(moderated by artist Phyllis Dobbs)

The copyright laws protect all original works and the derivatives of that these works. There is so much mis-understanding about copyright protection covers resulting in infringement and illegal use of protected work. We will discuss ways to create awareness of copyrights and take action.

Hint: Do not just stick only with groups that are for art licensing but join others to learn more about related industries. These provide valuable information that you can apply to licensing your art. For instance, the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA) is more slanted toward entertainment, brand, and clothing licensing than art. But knowing what is going on in those industries gives artists a well rounded education on the entire licensing industry. Artists can also pick up useful information from some of the following linkedin groups: Art Marketing, Future Trends, Textile Designer, Graphic Design Professional Group, etc.

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