US Army Announces a New Branded Product Licensing Agreement with Source3

New York’s Source3 and the US Army have entered into a new licensing agreement that will allow Army service members, family and friends to purchase personalized 3D printed products. The customizable keepsakes, ornaments and collectables will feature personal photographs of US Army servicemembers or their families. The products will be 3D printed using Color Jet Print (CJP) 3D technology offered by 3D Systems and will be sold on a specialized branded shop on MyKeepsake, who will handle the actual fabrication. The licensing agreement was brokered by the New York-based global brand extension agency Beanstalk.

The large-scale licensing and 3D content distribution platform Source3 was founded by a team of Google and 3D Systems veterans back in late 2014 and has already proven to be a highly attractive service. The Source3 content licensing and distribution system is a new behind-the-scenes company that, realistically, most people will never see. How it works couldn’t be simpler: license or IP owners upload their digital content to Source3, then they select where they want the 3D content to show up, how they want it printed and how much they want the content to cost. Source3 works with all of the major 3D printing marketplaces and repositories, so they can send US Army merchandise virtually anywhere.

“3D printing enables new categories of personalized products by presenting brands with opportunities to engage fans in the individualized ways consumers love,” said Source3 Co-Founder and VP of Business Development Scott Sellwood.

For the deal with the US Army, the customizable 3D models will be available exclusively on MyKeepsake, a curated 3D product web store that offers a wide variety of 3D printable products. Currently the company offers 3D printed ornaments and pictures frames for a wide variety of holidays and special occasions. They also offer zodiac symbols and kanji wall plaques. MyKeepsake does all of their 3D printing in-house, and manufactures each item to order, and they cost about $30 each. The US Army-branded products are now available exclusively on MyKeepsake at https://mykeepsake.xyz/usarmy/.

The US Army name, trademarks and logos are protected under federal law, and any revenue generated by licensing them out is invested directly into the soldiers. Licensing fees, like those being paid by Source3, support the Army Trademark Licensing Program and all licensing revenue is invested into programs that increase US Army morale, military personnel welfare and the development or funding for soldier and military family recreation programs. By federal law, any fees collected by the US Army must be used on enlisted men and women and their families.

“The U.S. Army is a longtime client of our agency and we are delighted to open up a whole new world of bespoke products for service members, family and friends of the U.S. Army through 3D printing technology with Source3,” said CEO of Beanstalk Allison Ames.

New York’s Beanstalk is a global brand extension agency works with leading brands and intellectual property holders like celebrities, media properties, manufacturers and retailers to find new markey ways to bring products to their fans and customers. While the company is primarily headquartered in New York City, they also have several offices in London, Miami, and Cincinnati. Beanstalk can handle simple licensing agreements, but also offers services like brand representation, manufacturer representation, retailer partnerships, creative services, approvals management, legal and financial services, and royalty auditing. Discuss this new agreement in the Army 3D Printing forum over at 3DPB.com.