THINK Corporation (Tokyo, Minato; CEO: Yuji Mori) announces the public presentation of its know-how on setting up Limited Liability Partnerships (from now on, LLP), gained through the experience when developing ANIME INNOVATION TOKYO (details below), an ongoing animation incubation scheme targeting original ideas of independent creators and small-scaled animation studios.

Started in March 2006, is currently producing 7 animation works, each one administered by its own dedicated LLP. Think Corporation will for the first time open-source the details of its different models of LLP contracts in the coming JAM2007(*) symposium in October 5th, as well as on its website.

LLPs set up for audiovisual production have a much higher degree of corporate transparency compared to older system unions, since they are required to fully disclose financial statements to all participating members, and consequently, it becomes easier for all of them to anticipate profitability.

One of the features of an LLP is that benefits can be distributed according to a ratio agreed upon by the participating members. That allows creators, who usually have a small financial participation in the project, earn higher profit from its potential success.

This kind of union, with a scheme based on merits more than investments, is proposed as a new way to produce audiovisual projects.

*JAM2007: Japan Animation Contents Meeting 2007, part of Japan International Contents Festival (also known as CoFesta), sponsored by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and The Association of Japanese Animations, and celebrated this year on October 4th to 7th.

- Japan International Contents Festival Official website: http://www.cofesta.jp/
- JAM2007 Official website: http://www.jam-anime.jp/top.html
Symposium at JAM2007: "Public presentation of ANIME INNOVATION TOKYO's business scheme and know-how"
JAM2007 will host a symposium to present the know-how of ANIME INNOVATION TOKYO on setting up and managing LLPs, in collaboration with Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and The Association of Japanese Animations.

The symposium will disclose the contents of contracts of actual LLPs, as a new business scheme for production of audiovisual contents, how members of such committee's interact, and similarly related issues.
Event details:
Time: October 5th, 16:00-17:00
Place: Akihabara UDX 4rth floor, Akiba 3D Theater
Speakers: Yuji Mori (Think Corporation, CEO), Hiroshi Yamaguchi (Komazawa University, Associate Professor)
Organization: The Association of Japanese Animations (AJA), Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, Think Corporation.
More information: http://www.jam-anime.jp/symsemi/index.html
Open-sourcing LLP contracts
On October 19th, templates for contracts of LLPs set-up through ANIME INNOVATION TOKYO, as well as in its website, will be publicly disclosed.

This templates for setting up LLPs will be open-sourced conforming to Creative Commons licenses.

For further details, please visit ANIME INNOVATION TOKYO's official website.

ANIME INNOVATION TOKYO Official Website: http://www.anime-innovation.jp/
About LLP
An LLP, abbreviation for Limited Liability Partnership, is a new union system introduced by Japanese law by October 2005. An LLP has 3 main characteristics:
1) Self-governance: Profit distribution percentage is determined not just according to the invested amount, but to how much you participate in the business.
2) Pass-through taxation: There is no corporate tax.
3) Limited liability: Even if business fails, there is no need for the union members to take responsibility for a debt.

Looking at organizations such as joint stock corporations and limited liability companies, there never existed in the past, a union with all 3 of these characteristics. Utilizing the system of LLP can reduce the risks of the individual union members, and also, corporations can participate without having to worry about affecting their main business on a large scale. Medium and small size companies who are unable to make big investments, can still get a chance to earn large profit if they make enough contribution.