The Frankfurt Book Fair announced a significant investment in IPR License, the global rights and licensing trading platform. The deal will see FBF take a minority shareholding in IPR License Ltd. The two companies will align to embark on a strategic sales, marketing and tech-based licensing partnership to further establish the IPR platform TradeRights as the industry standard tool for rights and licensing transactions.
This partnership will not only help promote the value of rights and licensing to a wider global audience but also enable international publishers to transact front and backlist business simpler, faster and cost-effectively.
This announcement follows the cementing of IPR’s alliance with another industry giant Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) to simplify and speed up the process for rightsholders to search, offer, negotiate and complete transactions on a range of subsidiary rights deals through IPR’s online marketplace.
Juergen Boos, Director at the Frankfurt Book Fair, said:
“In the last several years, publishers have found new opportunities for their content. Rights activity is a growing feature of our Frankfurt physical portfolio. As well as building on this area of our business, we actively want to increase our part in the growing online rights and permissions platforms that have come to market in recent times,” said Boos.
“We are pleased to announce this promising strategic partnership between Frankfurt, IPR and CCC. We have identified the global rights business as an area where we can leverage our current Frankfurt offerings – ie the Literary Agents & Scouts Centre, the International Rights Directors Meeting, our involvement in RightsLink and many other specialized events – to a wider physical audience around the world in the key areas where we currently have a presence.”
Tom Chalmers, Managing Director of IPR License, commented:
“We’re delighted to not only welcome Frankfurt Book Fair as a stakeholder in IPR License but also as a key strategic partner in achieving our aim to make our tech-based rights solution an industry standard tool across the international book market.
“Publishing is a global business and rights are at the heart of that business. The Frankfurt Book Fair is not just the largest and most important marketplace for rights and licensing, it also keeps publishing professionals informed about the latest developments impacting the international rights arena. FBF has a clear vision to generate additional business opportunities for publishers all year round and we’ll be working closely together to ensure that more opportunities are generated and monetised on a global scale.
“Working closely with FBF’s event teams and offices around the world ensures that exciting times lie ahead. Internally we’re also continuing to expand our team, as well as our range of technological solutions for publishers of all sizes, and FBF will play an important role in our future development.”
