Confusion about WLF

[Sparkle Pony]

I've always been confused about where companies like WLF stand in relation to Hasbro.  I was hoping checking their website would answer my questions, but they don't have any information about this that I saw.  Are MLP products from WLF licensed by Hasbro, or do they exist in some kind of legal loophole?  What about the fan designed products?

[Ice Crystal]

Someone around here will know better than me, but Mighty Fine MLP products are licensed by Hasbro. This includes fan made designs. I have never made a design for WLF so I don't know what their contracts are like, but I imagine they have to sign an agreement saying that WLF/Hasbro now own the design and can use it for their own purposes. A lot of the designs originally used for t-shirts are rehashed onto art prints, wallets, bags, and even vinyl toys, and sometimes sold in retail stores like Hot Topic (although I don't see this as often as WLF's "original designs" using vectors and the like).

I doubt Hasbro would have let WLF amass such a collection of MLP merchandise if they weren't getting something out of it!

[hathorcat]

As Ice Crystal says, WLF are a licensee to Hasbro. That basically means WLF will pay Hasbro to have the rights to use Hasbro characters/IP/trademarks. A license will be restricted to a certain sector or industry of product [typically items in a line which is something Hasbro has no interest or intention of producing].

If a company is a licensee to a brand then, although they will have strict branding guidelines they have to follow, they are completely within the law in producing products with trademarked characters/images/logos/etc on them. 

[Sparkle Pony]

As Ice Crystal says, WLF are a licensee to Hasbro. That basically means WLF will pay Hasbro to have the rights to use Hasbro characters/IP/trademarks. A license will be restricted to a certain sector or industry of product [typically items in a line which is something Hasbro has no interest or intention of producing].

If a company is a licensee to a brand then, although they will have strict branding guidelines they have to follow, they are completely within the law in producing products with trademarked characters/images/logos/etc on them.

Ah, thank you!  I was pretty sure that WLF was a company along those lines, but I wasn't totally sure.  Lovely to have some clarification!