Aardman Animations, theUK-based company behind Wallace and Gromit, has signed a numberof deals licensing its content for mobile phone platforms.

Tied to the release of Wallaceand Gromit: The Curse of theWere-Rabbit, Aardman has struck an exclusive partnership withOrange UK to cover movie downloads, wallpapers, voice tones and screensavers.

Aardman has also licensedcontent from its library -- including Wallace and Gromitshorts,AngryKid,and Creature Comforts. Video clips,wallpapers,screensavers, and realtones have been made availableto customers of Orange UK, Vodafone, o2 and 3 UK.

Aardman's global licensingnetwork is working with Minick for Latin America andNorthern and Eastern Europe, Starcut for SoutheastAsia, Player X for Scandinavia, and Buongiornofor France, Italy, Brazil, Greece, Morocco, Portugal, Australia, and NewZealand. Telecom New Zealand and 3 Australia have signed direct deals for AngryKid andWallaceand Gromit. A Japanese distribution deal is said to beimminent.

Aardman's mobile agency,Crucible Media, brokered all the deals. Aardmandevelops mobile content in-house and also works with mobile content company edpic.

"Working with Cruciblehas given us the opportunity to shape an effective global strategy for mobilecontent distribution enabling us to achieve maximum value, whilst retainingcreative control,' said Sean Clarke, head of licensing and marketing at Aardman. 'This has enabled Aardmanto focus on what we do best, the creation of entertaining content. We currentlyhave a development pipeline encompassing over 300 pieces of mobile content,utilising our existing IP as well as new projects such AngryKid thathave been developed with the mobile medium in mind."