Morrison & Foerster's Tokyo office has significant experience in entertainment and media matters.
The office's clients in these areas include producers, creators, licensors, licensees, and other acquirers of content ranging
from major motion picture and animation properties to mobile telephone ringtones, video game developers and distributors,
wireless infrastructure providers, and site developers and operators.
Examples of recent entertainment and media related transactions on which we have recently advised include:
- Sega’s acquisition of KUSH and Sale of Virtual Concepts to Take-Two (2005). We represented Sega in its acquisition of US sports video game developer KUSH, the integration of KUSH with Sega’s Virtual
Concepts subsidiary, and the subsequent sale of Virtual Concepts to Take-Two.
- Amana’s sale of its US and European Operations to Getty Images (2005). We Represented Amana, a leading Japanese online photo stock company, in the sale of its U.S. and European operations to
Getty Images.
- Warner Brothers Online licenses of movie content (2005). We represented Warner Brothers Online in the licensing of certain of its animated characters and movie content for distribution
via Japan’s wireless network operators.
- Index’s Acquisition of Shenzhen Skyinfo Telecom (2005). We represented Index, a leading Jasdaq listed wireless value added service provider, in its acquisition of Shenzhen Skyinfo
Telecom, China’s 3rd largest mobile content provider.
- Sega’s entrance into the China online gaming market (2004). We represented Sega in its entrance into the China online gaming market through licenses with CNC Broadband Entertainment
for the CTRacer massively multiplayer online (MMO) game and with T2 for the Shenmue Online MMO role-playing game.
- Yamaha international licensing of music data (2004). We have represented Yamaha in its international licensing arrangements regarding music data for use as mobile telephone
ringtones.
- Star Channel. We represented Star Channel, a Japanese joint venture created to serve the Japanese market with film and other programming,
in connection in a variety of matters related to licensing of video content.
- Fuji Television Network. We represented Fuji Television Network, Inc., in numerous matters in the international exploitation of its domestic programming.
- Kadokawa Shoten Publishing. We represented Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd. in the international exploitation of its authors.
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- DirectTV’s sale of DirectTV/Japan to Sky Perfect. We represented Hughes Corporation in the sale of the assets of DirectTV Japan to Sky Perfect TV
