"The UK is at the forefront of the preschool licensing area" | Key4Communications |

Although licensing it’s a highly developed field in the United Kingdom, Kelvyn Gardner, from LIMA UK predicts a market growth in this field. Licenses with online origen will come with force and, in 2012, the London Olimpic and Paralimpic Games will be a license that can not be ignored.

¿Which are the main trends of the licensing industry in the UK?
For some time UK has been leading the field of preschool licenses: properties like Thomas and Friends, Teletubbies and Peppa Pig are conquering the world. The properties directed to preschool audiences have been the most important area of ​​licensing over the past ten years, and properties aimed at children with an age between 6 and 10 years old are also at the forefront of the market.

¿Which are the most significant sources of properties?
Television remains the main source of properties. In contrast, movies are less and less used as a window for new licenses because people only talks about them a few weeks. Now the main growth area for licensing are digital platforms, with properties such as Moshi Monsters, Angry Birds, Bin Weevils and Worms.

¿Is there any sector with an increasing use of licenses?
In the UK the licensing market is highly developed and most sectors have poerful licenses. However, recently there has been a revival of properties aimed at a family and adult target: for example, the London Olympics Games or the television drama Downton Abbey, with a great success in its license programm last year.

¿How will evolve the licensing market in the UK?
I think that the digital environment will continue its growing as more and more people become user of smartphones, tablets and networks such as YouTube and Facebook.

¿Which will be the three main properties for this year?
I think this 2012 Peppa Pig will remain as one of the main licenses. Star Wars will also be a very important license and, of course, the Olympic Games can not be ignored. Ben 10 could also be one of the most important licenses and Moshi Monsters will continue its path to world domination. If I had to choose only three properties I bet on Moshi Monsters, Peppa Pig and Star Wars.

Full text of this interview will be available in the April issue of Licencias Actulidad .