Index Corporation, operating mobile & media business around the world, and Sojitz Corporation, carrying out the acquisition and distribution of international copyrights, including Japanese animation, will establish Index Global Rights Management Corporation (IGR) in the United States (New York) in late October. The company will specialize in Wireless & New Media (WNM) business such as mobile phones and the Internet, acquire international copyrights to highly valued content and distribute the rights all over the world.

IGR will begin with $2.19 million in capital: 65% contributed by Index Corporation, 35% by Sojitz Corporation. IGR will obtain international distribution rights to content that includes video, music and sports from content holders around the world and offer them on a global scale. The global market size of WNM content is now valued at $15 billion and it is expected to grow to $45 billion by 2008, three times its current size. IGR predicts that sales will rise to approximately $12 million in 2006 and approximately $36 million in 2008. The company will also be working towards an IPO in the future.

Index Corporation's international mobile content delivery business operates primarily through 11 affiliated companies based mainly in Japan, China, Europe and the United States. Index Corporation has forged global connections with content holders, and accumulated WNM know-how and business plans which amount to the world's leading network for mobile content delivery.

Sojitz Corporation is dedicated to the production and export of content, which includes Japanese animation, and conducts business with more than 150 companies within the overseas copyright business. Sojitz Corporation's acquisition and distribution of international copyrights continues to grow and is diversifying into animation for children, documentaries and Japanese film, in addition to projects geared for teenagers.

Capitalizing on the know-how and networks of the two companies, IGR will provide content holders around the world with an open door to WNM business that reaches mobile, Internet, television, video and DVD industries. IGR will be acquiring high quality audio and video content, which will complement the existing content held by Index and Sojitz, and actively deliver them to overseas providers. IGR has already succeeded in acquiring the Internet distribution rights for ?gBBC Radio?h, provided by BBC Worldwide Ltd., and begun distribution to WOWOW, a Japan based premium satellite broadcaster.

Market background

Worldwide mobile business growth has the potential to reach an annual rate of 15-40 percent. The worldwide IP content market is also experiencing rapid growth and promises potential annual growth of 25-40 percent. Although the rights business, which is a key to content, requires regional negotiations, considerable cost and a great deal of effort, internet distributors and Video on Demand (VOD) companies throughout Japan, Europe, North America and beyond are increasingly in need of comprehensive international copyrights.

Index Global Rights Management Corporation: Corporate Profile

Company Name	Index Global Rights Management Corporation
Head Office	1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, USA
Tokyo Office	Carrot Tower, Taishido 4-1-1, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Established	October 2005
President & CEO	Daihei Shiohama
Capitalization	$2.19 million
Shareholders	Index Corporation (65%), Sojitz Corporation (35%)
Business Lines	International License Business. IGR will obtain international distribution rights to content from around the world and offer them to mobile/internet providers globally.