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GLOSSARY

Definitions and explainers for merchandising, licensing, and production terms - for brands, sports, and live events.

EN 71 (European Toy Safety Standard)

Licensing Manufacturing Compliance

EN 71 is the series of European standards for the safety of toys, used to show that a toy meets the EU's safety requirements. Its main parts cover mechanical and physical properties, flammability and the migration of certain chemical elements.

Enamel Pin

Craftsmanship Durability

An enamel pin is a small die-struck metal badge filled with colored enamel and plated in a metal finish, worn on clothing or collected as merchandise.

GPSR (EU General Product Safety Regulation)

Licensing Manufacturing Compliance

The GPSR, Regulation (EU) 2023/988, is the EU's General Product Safety Regulation. Since 13 December 2024 it has set the safety, traceability and information duties for consumer products sold in the EU, in shops or online.

Hard Enamel Pin

Craftsmanship Durability

A hard enamel pin is a die-struck metal pin whose enamel fill is polished flat and smooth after baking, giving it a glass-like, jewelry-grade finish.

Licensed Merchandise

Licensing Merchandising

Licensed merchandise is any product made under a formal agreement with the owner of a brand, team, or intellectual property, allowing that IP to appear on the product legally.

Merchandising Agency

Licensing Merchandising

A merchandising agency turns the brand of a club, federation or company into physical products and runs the jobs around them, from design and licensing approvals to sampling, production management, quality control and delivery.

Merchandising Consultant

Licensing Merchandising

A merchandising consultant advises a club, federation, or brand on merchandising strategy, such as category mix, pricing, and vendor selection, without necessarily producing or fulfilling any of the products themselves.

Merchandising Supplier

Licensing Merchandising

A merchandising supplier manufactures or sources physical products to a buyer's specification, handling production and fulfillment without necessarily managing the design, licensing relationship, or brand approval process a merchandising agency would.

Official Licensee

Licensing Merchandising

An official licensee is a company with a direct, written licence from a club, federation, or league to design, produce, and sell branded merchandise under that entity's trademarks, typically in exchange for a royalty on sales.

Official Partner

Licensing Merchandising

An official partner is a sponsorship relationship, a commercial marketing deal between a company and a club, federation, or league, distinct from a licence to produce or sell branded merchandise.

PPWR (EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation)

Licensing Manufacturing Compliance

PPWR (Regulation (EU) 2025/40) is the EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. It applies from 12 August 2026 to all packaging placed on the EU market, including the gift boxes, polybags and cartons used for merchandise.

REACH (EU Chemicals Regulation)

Licensing Manufacturing Compliance

REACH is the EU's core chemicals regulation, controlling which substances can be used in a product sold into the EU and how their presence has to be disclosed. For merchandise, the parts that matter most are the Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) disclosure duty and specific Annex XVII restrictions like the nickel release limit on metal goods.

Soft Enamel Pin

Craftsmanship Durability

A soft enamel pin is a die-struck metal pin left unpolished after the enamel fill, keeping the raised metal outlines visible for a textured, hand-finished look.

Trophy Replica

Licensing Merchandising

A trophy replica is a licensed, scaled reproduction of an official sports trophy, produced under agreement with the competition or federation that owns the original.

VerpackDG (German Packaging Law Implementation Act)

Licensing Manufacturing Compliance

The VerpackDG, Germany's Verpackungsrecht-Durchführungsgesetz, is the national packaging law that works alongside the EU's PPWR. Since 12 August 2026 it has set the rules for producer registration, system participation and reporting in Germany.

Let's Bring Your Brand to Life

If you have a project or would like to know more please reach out:

Charles Gottlieb

Partner

cg@amball.com

Edouard Gottlieb

Partner

eg@amball.com

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