Anime International Company (AIC) has officially regained its status as a shareholder of AIC Rights after Japan’s Supreme Court declined to hear the final appeal in a legal dispute that began in 2021. The ruling brings an end to a four-year court battle over ownership of shares tied to the company behind several classic anime franchises.
AIC announced the outcome after Japan’s Supreme Court declined to accept producer Yoshikazu Maeda’s final appeal on May 27, 2026, bringing the years-long legal dispute to a close. The decision leaves the earlier rulings by the Tokyo District Court and Tokyo High Court in AIC’s favor fully intact.
Supreme Court Finalizes AIC’s Victory
The dispute centered on AIC’s demand to have its shares in AIC Rights returned. During the lawsuit, AIC Rights argued that Maeda had already transferred his shares to a third party and therefore could not return them.
However, the Tokyo District Court ruled in favor of AIC in March 2025. That decision was later upheld by the Tokyo High Court, before the Supreme Court effectively finalized the outcome by refusing to hear the final appeal.
The ruling officially recognizes AIC once again as a shareholder of AIC Rights.
AIC Rights was established following a 2015 company split that transferred much of AIC’s intellectual property portfolio to the new company. Since then, it has overseen productions connected to legacy franchises including Tenchi Muyo! Ryo Ohki and Battle Athletes Victory ReSTART!
In 2021, AIC Rights also entered an agreement with Toei Agency to jointly own portions of several classic anime properties, including Megazone 23, Bubblegum Crisis, Gall Force, Dangaioh, Hades Project Zeorymer, and the Tenchi Muyo! franchise.
The latest ruling concludes one of the anime industry’s most closely watched corporate legal disputes involving ownership rights over long-running intellectual properties.
