Licensing Expert Witness

Licensing is a marketing practice in which a trademark owner allows another entity to license their mark in exchange for royalties. Licensing controls are required because consumers rely on trademarks to determine the source of a product. They rely on them in making purchases, since they trust a company that places a certain mark on its products to meet the standards associated with the mark. Failing to monitor the use of a trademark results in the loss of the trademark's value in the marketplace. It no longer means anything about the products with which it is associated. This is sometimes known as the "abandonment" of a trademark.

With Fortune 500 experience as both a licensee and licensor at Walmart/Sam's Club and VF Corporation, VF Intimates, licensing expert witness Rhonda Harper knows a thing or two about licensing. This real world experience combined with years of experience providing licensing expert testimony can make all the difference to your case. 

Some of the key questions used to determine if the license is "naked" or if there has been an "abandonment" of a trademark include:

• Did the Licensor provide brand standards and did the Licensee adhere to them?
• Did the Licensor require regular communications and reviews?
• Did the Licensee and Licensor have consistent staff and processes in place?
• Did the Licensor regularly review and approve licensed products and services?