Red flags and relationship-damaging mistakes

Trust is slow to build and quick to lose. A few avoidable mistakes can damage your reputation with a licensor, and sometimes with others, since the anime licensing world is relatively small.

Common relationship-damaging mistakes include:

Skipping approvals. Producing, selling, or promoting anything before it's approved is one of the fastest ways to lose a license.
Altering artwork. Redrawing, recoloring, or combining characters without permission.
Late or inaccurate royalty reports. These raise concerns about your reliability and honesty.
Surprises. Announcing products, collaborations, or launch dates the licensor hasn't agreed to.
Overpromising. Forecasts or distribution you can't deliver.
Going around your contact. Approaching other committee members or companies behind your contact's back.
Pushing too hard. Aggressive deadlines or repeated pressure for quick decisions.

Watch for red flags on the other side too. Be cautious if someone offers rights without clear proof they control them, pressures you to pay quickly before signing a contract, can't provide a proper copyright notice or style guide, or offers terms that seem too good to be true. Verify who you're dealing with and have a licensing attorney review any agreement.