IPR License: Frankfurt Book Fair Becomes Majority Shareholder

Established in 2012, the IPR License online platform for global trading rights has more than 500 members’ listings. Copyright Clearance Center retains a minority stake.

By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson

‘To Establish the Industry Standard Tool’ in Online Rights Trading

Officials of Frankfurt Book Fair (FBM) today (April 28) are announcing that FBM has taken control of the global rights and licensing trading platform IPR License Ltd, becoming the company’s majority shareholder.

In May 2015, FBM made a significant investment in IPR License. With its new majority position, Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) retains a minority stake.

Thomas Minkus, VP for Emerging Media & English Language Markets at Frankfurt Book Fair, will assume the role of Managing Director of IPR License, with Jane Tappuni, previously EVP of Business Development at Ingenta (formerly Publishing Technology), taking over as Head of Marketing and Business Consultant.

IPR Founder and original Managing Director Tom Chalmers will oversee the handover of the business in the short-term, and then will be leaving the company to focus on other entrepreneurial projects.

In a prepared statement, Minkus is quoted as saying:

Thomas Minkus

“We are delighted to make this announcement today, and to take our investment in IPR License to the next level.

“Rights activity is a growing feature of our Frankfurt physical portfolio and, with our partners CCC, our aim is to further establish the IPR platform TradeRights as the industry standard tool for rights and licensing transactions.

“IPR License is of strategic importance to both the Frankfurt Book Fair and CCC, and we look forward to developing its global offering over the long-term.”

At CCC, Emily Sheahan, Vice President for Strategic Corporate Initiatives, is quoted as saying, “IPR License fills an important gap in the marketplace to help publishers around the world monetize their content in as many ways as possible. At CCC, we value our continued partnership with the Frankfurt Book Fair and look forward to building on IPR’s success.”

For his part, the departing Chalmers comments, “I am proud of what the team has achieved over the last four years, building a market-leading product and signposting the way to the future of rights licensing in publishing. In Frankfurt Book Fair, along with partner Copyright Clearance Center, IPR License now has a prestigious long-term home.”

FBM officials say that this further investment in IPR License and the continuing partnership with CCC will both help promote the value of rights and licensing to a wider global audience and also will enable international publishers to transact front and backlist business simpler, faster and more cost-effectively.

About the Author

Porter Anderson

Porter Anderson is a non-resident fellow of Trends Research & Advisory, and he has been named International Trade Press Journalist of the Year in London Book Fair's International Excellence Awards. He is Editor-in-Chief of Publishing Perspectives. He formerly was Associate Editor for The FutureBook at London's The Bookseller. Anderson was for more than a decade a senior producer and anchor with CNN.com, CNN International, and CNN USA. As an arts critic (National Critics Institute), he was with The Village Voice, the Dallas Times Herald, and the Tampa Tribune, now the Tampa Bay Times. He co-founded The Hot Sheet, a newsletter for authors, which now is owned and operated by Jane Friedman.