`memos/licensing-channels.md`

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# Engine 5 — License Wallpaper's Back designs (channel strategy, ALL GATED)

**Created:** 2026-07-01 · **Owner:** vp-abramsego (engine) / vp-special-projects (WPB catalog) · **Status:** DRAFT — every channel below is a Steve-gated switch. Nothing is signed up, listed, or contacted.

> Feeds task 41's consolidated go-live approval memo. If that memo exists at
> `~/.claude/yolo-queue/pending-approval/abramsego-golive-260701.md`, append this as its
> **"5. licensing"** switch section (autonomous writes to that path are harness-blocked,
> so it lives in-repo until Steve or task 41 moves it).

## What's built (local, non-gated)
- `data/wpb-licensing-catalog.json` — 24 designs cached from the **read-only** public feed
  `https://wallpapersback.com/api/designs`. Selection round-robins across all 16 live style
  families (chinoiserie, muybridge-plate, drunk-animals, designer-zoo-calm, monterey-mural,
  stripe, damask, cactus, floral, scenic, geometrics, …) for maximum variety.
  **Eligibility hard rail honored:** only designs LIVE on wallpapersback.com
  (`is_published: true`, `user_removed: false` — i.e. already settlement-passed + published).
  No WPB DB writes, no WPB deploys, images stay WPB-hosted.
- LLM licensing copy per design: 1-line style description + 3 DRAFT tiers
  (digital single-use $149 / commercial print $495 / exclusive $2,500; murals $249/$795/$4,500).
- Landing section "License our original designs" on `/landing` (still behind Basic Auth,
  `PUBLIC_LANDING=0`): sortable (Newest/Color/Style/SKU/Title) + density slider, both
  localStorage-persisted per Steve's grid rules; inquiry CTA → `POST /api/waitlist`
  with `source:"licensing"` + tier(+design id).
- Engine pill 5 `licensing` in the revenue registry, gated; flips live only when real
  income lands via `/api/revenue/record`.

## Ranked channels (each = one Steve switch)

### 1. Print-on-demand marketplaces (fastest to first dollar, lowest lift)
| Channel | What it requires | Revenue mechanics |
|---|---|---|
| **Spoonflower** | Artist account, upload seamless tiles (already print-clean at 150 DPI from the WPB pipeline), set designs "for sale" | ~10–15% commission on wallpaper/fabric/home goods sold; passive after upload |
| **Society6 / Redbubble** | Artist account, upload square art files | ~10% base margin (S6), artist-set markups (RB); wallpaper + adjacent products (pillows, art prints) |
| **Creative Market / Adobe Stock (patterns)** | Shop approval, package tiles as digital pattern files | 50–70% of each digital sale; sells the FILE (digital single-use tier) — decide first whether digital-file sales are acceptable vs. print-only |

**Risk note:** marketplace uploads grant those platforms broad display/print licenses and price
anchors (~$5–20 digital). If exclusivity deals (tier 3) matter, keep the exclusive-eligible
subset OFF marketplaces — the two models conflict per-design.

### 2. Etsy shop — digital + fulfilled-by-WPB (own the customer)
- Requires: Etsy seller account (~$0.20/listing), listing fees + ~6.5% transaction fee.
- Sell printed-roll orders fulfilled through the existing WPB print pipeline, and/or digital
  license downloads. Higher margin than POD marketplaces; more ops (customer service).
- Natural A/B: list the same 24-design licensing catalog and see which families pull.

### 3. B2B licensing outreach (highest $/deal, slowest)
- Targets: boutique hotel/hospitality procurement, interior-design studios, wallpaper
  manufacturers hunting fresh collections (the inverse of DW's vendor relationships — Steve
  already knows which houses buy outside art), stationery/textile brands.
- Requires: a one-page licensing sheet (the catalog JSON + landing section IS the pitch page),
  outreach emails — **send-to-list is hard-gated**, drafts only until Steve approves.
- Mechanics: flat license fees per the tier sheet, or royalty (5–10% of wholesale) for
  collections. Exclusives ($2.5k–$4.5k draft) retire the design from other channels.

### 4. Patternbank / WGSN-adjacent design marketplaces (trade-facing)
- Requires: portfolio application; they curate.
- Mechanics: site sells the design (often exclusive transfer) at trade prices ($150–$500+),
  takes ~30–50%. Good clearing house for designs that don't move on consumer channels.

## Suggested first move (when Steve flips a switch)
Spoonflower first: zero listing cost, the WPB pipeline already outputs seamless
150-DPI-clean tiles, and it validates per-family demand before any B2B outreach. Etsy second.
B2B outreach only once there's a sales screenshot to point at.

## The switch (what Steve approves)
- [ ] APPROVE channel(s): Spoonflower / S6-RB / Creative Market / Etsy / B2B outreach / Patternbank
- [ ] APPROVE or REVISE draft tier pricing (marked DRAFT everywhere until then)
- [ ] Decide: digital-file sales allowed, or print-only?
- [ ] Which designs (if any) reserved exclusive-only (kept off marketplaces)?

Until all four are answered: catalog + landing stay local-only behind auth; no accounts, no
listings, no outreach, no WPB writes.