DEALS
Zhong Lun Assists Top Influencer and Agency in Signing Exclusive Split Representation Agreement with Leading Platform
Zhong Lun Assists Top Influencer and Agency in Signing Exclusive Split Representation Agreement with Leading Platform
Recently, Zhong Lun assisted a renowned internet influencer and the influencer’s global talent agency (the “Agency”) in successfully reaching an agreement with a company designated by a leading internet platform (the “Platform”) regarding a split contract arrangement for the influencer’s exclusive global representation rights. Despite the inherent complexities of shared representation agreements within the artist management domain and a significant disparity in negotiating power between the clients and the Platform, the Zhong Lun team expertly navigated the core challenges, securing an optimal solution for the clients. The project was completed within merely one month, underscoring the firm’s exceptional efficiency and expertise in handling such high-profile negotiations.
This multi-party negotiation aimed to map out a collaborative framework between the Agency and the Platform, which boasts top-tier traffic resources. To achieve this goal, the key was to determine the rights allocation and cooperation mechanisms between the Agency and the Platform under the influencer’s exclusive global representation rights. In the context of an increasingly platform-driven economy, where the Platform profoundly directs online traffic distribution, the crucial challenge was to ensure the effective protection of the influencer’s personal IP rights and the Agency’s operational autonomy.
Leveraging profound expertise in the operational models of the entertainment management industry and the dynamics of the platform economy, Zhong Lun’s team formulated negotiation strategies dovetailing with the clients' core objectives. The team meticulously managed the negotiation pace to precisely achieve each strategic target, providing in-depth, end-to-end assistance to the clients in communicating with the Platform throughout the intensive month-long, back-and-forth negotiation process. These efforts ultimately culminated in the signing of a tripartite split contract cooperation agreement among the influencer, the Agency, and the Platform that met the interests of all parties.
This specialized negotiation was led by partner Haijun Zhang, with significant support from partner Changyu Fu. The team also included associate Zhe Du.
