5.2
Finding and approaching rights holders
Finding the right person to talk to is often the hardest early step. Anime rights are frequently shared among several companies, so you need to identify who controls the rights you want in your territory, then approach them in a professional, well-prepared way.
Key terms
- Rights holder
The company that owns or controls the rights you want to license.
- Licensing window
The company or department designated to handle licensing inquiries for a title, sometimes called the licensing contact (窓口, madoguchi).
- Licensing agent
A company authorized to represent a property and sign deals on the owner's behalf in certain categories or regions.
- Production committee
A group of companies that jointly fund and own an anime, often with one member managing licensing (see 2.2).
- Warm introduction
Being introduced by someone the rights holder already knows and trusts.
Figure out who controls what
Start with the credits. Anime end credits and official websites usually list the production committee or copyright notice (for example, "©Author/Publisher, Committee Name"). This tells you who owns the property, but not always who licenses it in your category and region.
Rights are often split. A publisher such as Shueisha or Kodansha may control rights tied to the original manga, while a committee member handles anime-based merchandise. Outside Japan, a regional agent or an international arm of a Japanese company may handle deals. Streamers like Crunchyroll or Netflix may hold media rights but not merchandise rights. Check existing licensed products in your market; their packaging often names the licensor or agent.
Where to look
- Official title websites and the copyright line on products
- Company websites of publishers, studios, and licensing agents, which often have a licensing inquiry page
- Trade shows such as Licensing Expo, AnimeJapan, or Anime Expo, where licensors meet partners
- Industry associations such as Licensing International
- Intermediaries and matchmakers; AniBiz can help identify the right contact for a given title
Making the first approach
Keep your first message short and specific. Introduce your company, name the title, state the product category and territory, and briefly explain why you're a good fit. Offer to send a full proposal. Avoid attaching large files or rough product mockups in a cold email, since unsolicited designs can create awkward intellectual property questions.
If the rights holder is Japanese, a brief Japanese version or a polite note that you can provide one is often appreciated. Be patient: replies can take weeks, and one polite follow-up after two to three weeks is usually appropriate.
Example
Moonfox Apparel checks the copyright line on Starlight Paladins merchandise and sees the fictional "Starlight Paladins Production Committee." Existing US products list Hoshizora Licensing, a fictional regional agent, as the licensor. Moonfox emails Hoshizora's licensing inquiry address with a five-sentence introduction, its product category (premium T-shirts), territory (US and Canada), and an offer to send a proposal. Hoshizora replies three weeks later asking for the proposal and company details.
Common mistakes
- Contacting the studio because it animated the show, when it doesn't control merchandise rights.
- Sending the same generic email to every company in the credits.
- Following up too often or too aggressively.
- Sending unsolicited finished designs using the characters.