- Introducing SmarterLinks – the industry-first tool for secure,
comprehensive control, distribution, and monetization of digital
assets
- Premier League Pilot Cuts Paid Media Costs by 50% Acquiring and
Licensing Trending TikTok Content
- Secures $1.1 Million Angel Funding from Industry Titans to
Accelerate Development
In the face of rapid advancements in creative tools and
artificial intelligence, copyright laws have lagged, creating
vulnerabilities for creators and buyers alike. Addressing this
critical gap, SmarterLicense has unveiled a groundbreaking
licensing framework designed to seamlessly provide tailored
solutions and tools for every conceivable type of content and data
utilization. The transformative licensing framework offers
unparalleled flexibility and control. It's a solution tailored to
protect both licensors and licensees, bridging the gap between
traditional models and the needs of today and tomorrow’s digital
landscape. SmarterLicense launches today in public beta, offering a
new legal framework to transform intellectual property creation,
sharing, tracking, remixing, and monetization.
Introducing SmarterLinks – the industry-first tool for
secure, comprehensive control, distribution, and monetization of
digital assets
The company is unveiling SmarterLinks, a transformative,
patent-pending tool for secure, private file distribution.
SmarterLinks enables creatives to distribute files for AI training,
track usage, and set permissions while maintaining granular control
over their content.
For example, a photographer can securely share images for AI
training, monitor their use, and set access rules. SmarterLinks
ensures content follows the owner’s preferences and legal
requirements, allowing file replacement or access revocation if
misused or after licenses expire.
SmarterLinks is vital for creatives who lack the technical
skills to set up complex backend systems but want to use or share
their content under specific terms across web and AI applications.
By streaming files rather than repeatedly uploading them,
SmarterLinks optimizes server efficiency and improves website
latency by more than 90%, as demonstrated on SmarterLicense’s own
landing page. This approach enhances the performance and efficiency
of digital content distribution, providing granular asset control
across the web.
Other product offerings include:
- Marketplaces: Public marketplaces connect buyers and
sellers to help creators monetize their IP and access new revenue
streams.
- Offers: Buyers can use the ‘Offers’ tool to send
ready-to-sign contracts on any asset from anywhere on the web. This
tool enables licensing thousands of assets with the touch of a
button.
- Upload Portals: Recognizing the demand for bulk
content acquisition, SmarterLicense Upload Portals allow buyers to
set their prices and terms and open a portal for many creatives,
fans, or rights holders to submit files.
More detailed information on features for each product can be
found at smarterlicense.com/#products-tablet.
Founded in 2023 by Liz Hagelthorn, SmarterLicense is the
culmination of a digital journey that began when she was 13,
pioneering online monetization through a makeup blog with affiliate
links. After her tenure at tech giants Twitter and Google,
Hagelthorn led creative for the largest meme network on Instagram,
running creative and strategy for 127 accounts spanning 300 million
followers and reaching 1.6 billion people monthly. A record label
acquired the network in under two years. Through viral memes,
Hagelthorn has mastered the art of remixing and enabling others to
re-imagine content, balancing freely sharing ideas with the
necessity of making a living. Just as memes rely on the work of
others, AI depends on existing content. Recognizing this,
Hagelthorn addresses AI’s challenges, using the existing language
of the internet to drive the future forward and identifying the
next creative frontiers.
“As we navigate the complexities of modern digital content
creation and distribution, it’s crucial to recognize the role
licensing plays beyond mere compensation. Proper licensing, whether
for $0 or $100,000, is essential to avoid costly copyright
disputes, protect against unauthorized usage, ensure proper
attribution, and track usage,” said Liz Hagelthorn, founder and CEO
of SmarterLicense. “Our platform enables frictionless licensing and
immediate payouts for content, data, and endless file types,
unlocking new creative and technological markets. We empower
creatives to set their pricing and terms and to track and control
their assets across web and AI applications, including invoking
kill switches, gaining insights, and swapping out files. As formats
like .jpeg and .png were essential for digitizing photographs,
creative works must be AI-ready. Our tools allow creatives to remix
and build innovative solutions around their portfolios without
coding skills, paving the way for future advancements in digital
content management and IP monetization.”
Premier League Pilot Cuts Paid Media Costs by 50% Acquiring
and Licensing Trending TikTok Content
In a pilot campaign with the Premier League and XALT,
SmarterLicense enabled the Premier League to license promotional
materials, transform content creators into match commentators, and
facilitate real-time licensing of trending content for halftime
programming. SmarterLicense tools helped acquire and license
trending TikTok content at a 50% lower cost, powering both paid
media and organic efforts with a quick turnaround.
By leveraging SmarterLicense tools, the Premier League reduced
paid media costs by 50% while building a community of more than
11,000 fans in 10 days. The pilot was successful in reaching and
engaging Gen Z, with 100% of fans under 40 years old and 93%
between 18 and 35 years of age. In addition, SmarterLicense
facilitated the real-time acquisition and licensing of low-cost
halftime programming featuring trending content, leading to 100%
audience retention. The pilot marked a significant improvement from
the previous 20-30% drop-off observed during matches 1-3,
showcasing the effectiveness of SmarterLicense in enhancing viewer
engagement and retention.
“SmarterLicense was instrumental in efficiently contracting
topic-specific creators with a tight, even real-time turnaround at
70-80% lower costs than the market rate. We had the flexibility
with SmarterLicense to create custom contracts that creators were
comfortable with and easily understood,” said Alex Cooper, VP of
Community and COO at XALT.
$1.1 Million Angel Funding Raised from Industry Titans to
Accelerate Development
On the heels of the successful pilot, SmarterLicense also
announced that it has secured $1.1 million in angel funding from
industry titans from entertainment, media, and technology,
including Chris Camillo, Bobby and Ben Hundreds, Barbara Jones, and
Jim Toth, among others.
Advisors, investors, customers, and partners commenting on the
launch:
Bobby Hundreds, Co-Founder of TheHundreds:
“Traditional licensing models work well for products and
merchandise, but rights and usage remain unclear regarding digital
content and AI. I am thrilled to see how SmarterLicense addresses
these challenges by opening up digital licensing as an extension of
branded product licensing. I’m excited for a platform that enables
seamless licensing and real-time acquisition, revolutionizing how
we engage audiences and maximize reach. SmarterLicense is paving
the way for the future of IP brand expansion and digital content
management in the age of AI.”
Roahn Hylton, Grammy-Nominated Producer, Composer,
Songwriter, and SONA Board Member; Advisor to
SmarterLicense: "In today's music creation process,
technology plays a vital role, but its relationship with
rightsholders can be complicated. Tools like SmarterLicense are
bridging that gap. As a music creator, I use various tools every
day, and it's crucial to have solutions that empower catalog
owners. I’m excited to work with SmarterLicense and closely with
rightsholders to ensure technological advancements serve our
interests, providing robust solutions for protecting our work,
managing rights, and ensuring proper compensation. This
forward-thinking approach is exactly what the music industry needs
to navigate the complexities of the digital age and move us
forward."
Barbara Jones, Founder and CEO, Outshine Talent: “In a
landscape where digital content creation and distribution are
evolving at breakneck speed, SmarterLicense’s platform ensures that
every actor, musician, author, journalist, social content creator,
or other IP holder is protected and can be monetized for maximum
financial benefit. I am particularly impressed with the platform’s
approach to Generative AI, which provides credentials to track the
IP used, the models used, and the contributors for attribution and
compensation purposes.”
Kelly Weimert, Content Creator, @divergentcoachkelly: “As
a creator, I love that SmarterLicense empowers me to protect my
creative assets, ensure proper attribution, and get paid fairly and
securely for my contributions. The platform is a game-changer for
anyone who wants to safeguard and monetize their creative
work."
For more information and to join the public beta, go to
www.smarterlicense.com/joinwaitlist.
About SmarterLicense
SmarterLicense offers cutting-edge licensing, monetization, and
digital rights management solutions. Our platform provides
seamless, no-code tools that empower rights holders, buyers, and
collaborators to showcase, negotiate, and acquire content
effortlessly. SmarterLicense is committed to enabling users to
manage and monetize their digital assets efficiently and
effectively by offering proprietary licensing agreements and robust
asset management tools. Our vision is to transform digital rights
management, making it easier for creators and businesses to
protect, build, and profit from their intellectual property in the
era of AI. For more information, visit www.smarterlicense.com.
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