Studio Ghibli to crack down on unauthorized merch, promising to take strict legal action

Studio Ghibli has made an announcement on its official website stating that it intends to take strict action against those selling unauthorized reproductions of artwork from its films and publications. 

The Japanese animation studio, known for global box office hits like Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away, announced on December 9 that it had confirmed the existence of several stores and online shops that were selling unofficial framed images of Studio Ghibli artworks at high prices. In the statement, Studio Ghibli clarified its intent to take strict civil and criminal action against such actors. The announcement was published in Japanese, English and Chinese. 

Emphasizing the numerous people and years of hard work it has taken to produce Studio Ghibli works that are beloved throughout the world, the anime studio highlighted the damage that bootleg merchandise does to their company, “Sales of unauthorized copyright infringement products devalue our global image and are nothing more than unlawful sales that cannot be overlooked.” Thanking fans who buy official products, Studio Ghibli states that it will continue to strengthen its intellectual property right protections.