Index Corp, the big Japanese mobile content provider, has tied up with fellow-Japanese media rights firm Sojitz to launch a $2.2 million New York City-based fund to obtain and exploit online and mobile rights to a range of content, including animation and video, it was announced at MIPCOM..

The “Index Global Rights Management Corporation” (IGR) will begin with $2.19 million in capital: 65% contributed by Index and 35% by Sojitz. IGR has already acquired the Internet distribution rights for BBC Radio, provided by BBC Worldwide, says the companies, and have begun distribution to WOWOW, a Japan based premium satellite broadcaster. (I’m a bit skeptical of the scope of this claim...did they get worldwide rights and for how long? A $2.2 million figure for that would be too small. Seems like it is BBC Radio International, which is under BBC Worldwide umbrella. Anyway, I’ll find out...)

Anyway, the news come the same week after Andrew Neil, the ubiquitous TV media personality and and former Sunday Times editor, announced a similar $53 million fund tp acquire TV programme rights, distribute and trade them globally, mainly on new media platforms.

Related:

-- UK TV Personality Launches TV Rights Firm To Exploit New Media