Brand development agency, The Copyrights Group has appointed License Connection as its Benelux licensing agent for Paddington Bear. The outfit will represent the popular IP across classic, baby, movie, and TV for a broad range of products in the region.

Written by Michael Bond and first in print in 1958 in the volume titled A Bear Called Paddington, Paddington has become a literary icon that has gone on to sell 35 million copies worldwide. The series has since been translated in to over 40 different languages.

The Paddington movies produced by Studiocanal, with Harry Potter’s David Heyman have become the most successful independent family movie franchise ever, with more than $500m at the box-office.

This year will see a brand-new Paddington TV series designed for a pre-school audience launch worldwide on Nickelodeon. The Adventures of Paddington features a young Paddington and reaches out to a whole new generation of fans.

Franca Bernatavicius, senior international licensing manager, The Copyrights Group, said: “We are very pleased to be working with License Connection on Paddington Bear in the Benelux. This is a very exciting time for Paddington, with the rich publishing heritage and the success of the films now paving the way for the upcoming TV series and a new generation of fans across the Benelux.”

Daphne Kellerman of License Connection, added: “We are delighted that The Copyrights Group has appointed License Connection as the Benelux Licensing Agent for Paddington. We see great potential for the brand in the territory because of its heritage and the new adventures that are about to come.

“It is a well-known brand already globally and we look forward to add partners to create new products, so kids and parents can go on their own journey with Paddington.”