Rights & Brands and Bulls Licensing, a division of Bulls, have merged to form one agency, specializing in Nordic rights and brands representation. With the merger, Rights and Brands is now the worldwide master agency working on behalf of Moomin Characters, representing all publishing and licensing rights for the design and publishing brand. 

“We are building our agency on the successful and longstanding partnership between Bulls and Moomin Characters,” says Margareta Steinsvik, chairman of the board, Rights and Brands and vice president, Bulls. “Since the start of R&B in 2016, we have been striving to take on the best brands and authors in the Nordics. As our mission rightly says; we bring Nordic rights and brands to a global arena.”

Rights and Brands was formed in April 2016 by Moomin Characters, Bulls and private owners Gustav Melin and Roleff Kråkström. Bulls has been the agency for Moomin Characters and Tove Jansson since the ‘50s, building Right and Brands on more than 60 years of joint merchandising and publishing experience. 

“The core values at Rights and Brands are very much in the traditional Nordic ethics and those of the Moomins – tolerance, equality, braveness, respect for nature and so on,” says Roleff Kråkström, chief executive officer, Moomin Characters. “We are looking forward to spreading these values all over the world with our partners and brilliant representations.”

In addition to the merger, Rights and Brands has appointed Patrick Ullman as its chief executive officer.

“R&B was founded on the assumption that Scandinavian literature and art has distinct characteristics, which are now more important than ever before,” says Patrick Ullman, chief executive officer, Rights & Brands. “There is global potential for brands born out of this cultural tradition. Our vision is to be the global leader within progressive association branding.”