a licensing agency must navigate multiple licensees, diverse product categories ranging from plush toys to homeware and tiered manufacturing relationships that can extend through numerous factories across different countries. Each licensee may have different suppliers, different compliance standards and different levels of transparency. A Moomin mug manufactured in one country operates under entirely different regulatory frameworks than a Pippi Longstocking T-shirt produced elsewhere – yet both carry the weight of brands that have been trusted by families for generations.
So, how do you ensure that the plush Moomintroll a parent tucks under their child’ s arm at bedtime was made with the same care and ethical consideration as the stories being read aloud? It’ s a challenge that extends far beyond simple product safety, encompassing the entire narrative of how beloved characters make their way from imagination to the physical world.
“ The characters we represent have been loved by families for generations, and that trust comes with responsibility,” explains Roleff Kråkström, CEO of Rights & Brands and Moomin Characters.
“ Our partnership with TrusTrace allows us to better ensure that products bearing these iconic brands meet high standards of transparency in their supply chain to ensure ethical manufacturing and compliance. This is about protecting not just the integrity of these characters, but the people behind the products.”
From documentation to intelligence TrusTrace’ s The Data Advantage report articulates this transformation. According to the report, the industry is moving away from“ passive documentation”, such as collecting PDFs and paper certificates, to“ active intelligence” based on real-time, verifiable data.
The distinction is crucial for understanding why Rights & Brands selected TrusTrace’ s platform. The company enables global brands and suppliers to standardise how supply chain and material traceability data is captured, digitised and shared.
CREDIT: IZZET KERIBAR VIA GETTY IMAGES
172 April 2026