HARRY POTTER: Is Warner Bros. brewing licensing magic?(Brief Article)

Midnight parties attended by witches and wizards, bloodshot eyes reaching epidemic proportion among the nation's young people and millions of books sold in hardcover. You'd have to have done a Rip van Winkle not to have heard about Harry Potter, the literary character created by author J.K. Rowling.

Harry and his universe that includes the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, evil villains (especially Voldemort), Quidditch, the most popular witch/wizard sport, and pals Ron and Hermione are now walking in two worlds--the fictional space between book covers and the licensing business of Warner Bros. Consumer Products.

With a movie due for release in …