Nickelodeon comes to Licensing Show June 10-13, 2003 in New York City at the Javits Center to kick off licensing programs for its latest hit show FAIRLY ODDPARENTS, the upcoming SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE and RUGRATS spin-off, ALL GROWN UP. Nickelodeon will also expand its current roster with movie licensing plans for A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS as well as the introduction of TAK AND THE POWER OF JUJU and EVERGIRL, its first off-channel properties. Nickelodeon can be found at Licensing Show booth #1317.

Walt Disney has announced that Disney Stores president Peter Whitford is stepping down and the firm is looking to sell its 548-store chain with locations throughout the U.S. and Europe. The retail stores have struggled in the past few years and U.S. stores have been downsized from 522 to 387. In 2001, Disney sold all its stores in Japan to Oriental Land Co., which runs the Tokyo Disney Resort theme park. However, Disney says it will hold onto the six Disney Stores in Hong Kong, in anticipation of the opening of Hong Kong Disney in the beginning of 2006.

London-based Entertainment Rights (ER), a leading media firm in the ownership and distribution of children's and family entertainment, has some good news and some bad news. ER has a distribution deal with Mattel Inc. for U.K. rights to the next Barbie CGI feature, BARBIE OF SWAN LAKE, but has also announced that Mattel will not be renewing the licensing agreement with ER subsidiary Link Licensing for the U.K. representation of certain non-doll Barbie merchandise and publications.

CinéGroupe has made its major theatrical project, P3K: PINOCCHIO 3000 available for licensing. Carlton consumer division is already onboard to handle licensing, theatrical, publishing, broadcast and video rights in the U.K.

In response to recent attention surrounding childhood obesity and lack of nutrition in school lunch programs, Nickelodeon and East Side Entrees have partnered to offer Nickelodeon-branded milk in school lunches nationwide starting in September 2003. The first character-licensed milk to be distributed nationally in schools, the milk cartons will display images from JIMMY NEUTRON, ROCKET POWER, THE WILD THORNBERRYS and SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS. Flavored nutritionally fortified packaged milk products will be for kids 6-11, and milkshakes will be available for kids 11-17.

McFarlane Toys has created adult collectible figures based on the second and third installments of THE MATRIX trilogy, THE MATRIX RELOADED and THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS. On May 15, 2003, Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures and NPV Entertainment, will release THE MATRIX RELOADED, the second installment of the Academy Award-winning blockbuster THE MATRIX. The third chapter, THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS, will be released later in 2003.

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.

Kidz Kraze International has been appointed licensee for THE SIMPSONS' inflatable figures, in a deal with FOX Licensing. In 2003, the company plans to launch the line of inflatables, including family members Homer, Bart, Marge, Maggie and Lisa, along with townspeople such as Mr. Burns, Krusty The Clown and Comic Book Guy. Kidz Kraze will feature THE SIMPSONS' inflatable figures at the New York International Toy Fair, February 16-19, 2003 in Room 554.

Sesame Workshop and Mervyn's department stores have entered into an exclusive agreement to bring merchandise featuring characters from SAGWA, THE CHINESE SIAMESE CAT, a PBS KIDS' series, to Mervyn's 264 stores. From January to March 2003, the retailer will feature SAGWA characters on children's products such as bedding, clothing, plush and watches. A percentage of the proceeds of all SAGWA merchandise sold will support Sesame Workshop educational programs around the world.