Nickelodeon, and Lowe's, one of the largest home improvement retailers, hope to paint kids rooms Nick pretty for spring, launching the Nickelodeon paint collection, one of a series of American Tradition Signature Colors available in Lowe's stores in the U.S.

Spellbound Entertainment has granted an international toy license for it’s new pre-school property, THE KOALA BROTHERS, to leading toy company Hasbro Inc. The deal covers key merchandise categories including plush toys, figurines, play sets and Play-Doh. Items will be available in stores next year following the show's premiere on the BBC later this year.

Breaking into a cool new licensing category, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS is available now in an Ice Cream Parlor line from Breyers. Now fans who dig SpongeBob can dig into a bowl of vanilla-flavored ice cream with a caramel swirl and chocolate cookie dough pieces shaped like SpongeBob and his friend Patrick. Joining SpongeBob SquarePants ice cream is the Ice Cream Parlor Creamsicle.

International toy and game company University Games has formed an alliance with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to create a number of JUSTICE LEAGUE products, based on the popular DC Comics’ comic book series and Cartoon Network’s hit animated show that includes the world’s most powerful superheroes: BATMAN, SUPERMAN, WONDER WOMAN, GREEN LANTERN, MARTIAN MANHUNTER, HAWKGIRL and THE FLASH.

Following on the heels of last week's announcement that YU YU HAKUSHO is moving to Cartoon Network's Toonami Block on March 3, FUNimation announced at the International Toy Fair in New York City it has awarded JAKKS Pacific the master toy license for YU YU HAKUSHO in North America. JAKKS Pacific will manufacture action figures, accessories and playsets based on the popular series from Japan that follows the adventures of 14-year-old Yusuke Urameshi, and expects to have product hit retail shelves by Q4 2003, in time for the Christmas season.

Brown Shoe Company, Inc. has signed a licensing partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to create four new footwear lines, featuring Looney Tunes characters Tweety and Taz, and the DC Comics super heroes, Superman and Supergirl. The launch of all four character lines is scheduled for the 2003 back-to-school season, and will include athletic and casual shoes, boots and slippers. Supergirl footwear will debut first, appearing at select retailers in spring 2003. Targeted to kids ages 3-7, the footwear lines will be available in children's sizes 9-3.

Tribune Entertainment and DIC have entered into an advertising sales and administrative alliance, where Tribune will exclusively handle all domestic barter sales activities, as well as oversee back room operational services, for DIC's domestic syndication division. Among the DIC properties for which Tribune will handle barter sales are DIC's programming blocks of FCC qualified educational and informational programming.

Toy manufacturer Hasbro, Inc. has scored a major coup in the licensing biz by extending its license with Lucas Licensing, Ltd., for the manufacture and distribution of STAR WARS toys and games for an additional ten years. Under the terms of the extension, the agreement is expected to run through 2018. The minimum guarantee payable to Lucas has also been reduced by $85 million to $505 million. Under its original 10-year deal, the minimum payment to Lucas was $590 million of which Hasbro has already paid $470 million.