Find a Video Game Rights Holder Before Licensing

Updated 5 November 2026 · Standard formula, shown below

Finding the right rights holder helps you direct a licensing request to someone with authority to approve the specific use you have in mind. Before you contact anyone, define what you want to license—such as a character, artwork, music, footage, or the game title—and where, how, and for how long you plan to use it.

What You’ll Need

The game’s exact title, edition, platform, release year, and relevant credits or packaging.
A clear description of the material and intended use, including media, territory, duration, audience, and whether the use is commercial.
Access to reliable records, such as the game’s credits, official publisher or developer pages, store listings, copyright notices, and relevant company or trademark databases.
A way to keep notes and copies of your research, correspondence, and any documents supplied by a prospective rights holder.

Step-by-Step

Define the exact rights you need. “The game rights” is too broad. List each asset you want to use: the name or logo, a character design, screenshots, gameplay footage, dialogue, music, sound effects, or other artwork. State whether you need permission to reproduce, adapt, perform, distribute, or promote the material. A single game can involve several owners, so this list determines whom to investigate.
Identify the exact game and version. Record the full title and any subtitle, original release date, platform, region, edition, and remaster or remake status. Check the title screen, game credits, manual, packaging, and official store page. Different versions may have different publishers, studios, music, or other content. Do not assume that a rights notice for one release covers every version.
Check the game’s own credits and legal notices. Look for copyright lines, trademark notices, publisher and developer names, and acknowledgments. Credits can identify the relevant companies, but a developer credit does not prove that the developer owns every asset or can grant your requested license. Save screenshots or copies and note precisely which game version the notice refers to.
Trace the publisher and developer through official sources. Search the publisher’s and developer’s official websites, support pages, corporate contact pages, and licensing or business-inquiry channels. Compare those details with the game’s credits and official platform listing. If the original company was acquired, renamed, dissolved, or reorganized, look for an official announcement or company record showing the change; do not treat a similar company name as proof of succession.
Investigate each asset separately. Music may be controlled by a composer, music publisher, record label, or another party, while the game company may control the game’s graphics or characters. Check music credits, soundtrack packaging, and any copyright or licensing notices attached to the material. For third-party brands, photographs, voices, or other incorporated content, look for separate credits or acknowledgments. Make a list of assets whose ownership is still uncertain.
Check relevant trademark records if you want to use a name or logo. Search the official trademark database for the jurisdictions where you plan to use the mark. Note the recorded owner, registration or application status, and the goods or services covered. A trademark record can help identify a contact, but it does not establish copyright ownership or automatically grant permission to use game art, music, or characters.
Verify the proposed licensor’s authority. Ask the contact to identify the legal entity that owns or administers the rights and confirm that it can license the particular asset, use, territory, and term you described. If the contact is an agent, distributor, studio, or successor company, request confirmation of its authority and the relevant chain of ownership or appointment. A website, credit, or informal assurance alone may not settle the question.
Send a focused inquiry and request written terms. Use an official business or licensing contact where available. Include the game and version, assets, proposed use, platforms or media, territory, term, expected audience, and whether the project is commercial. Ask who controls each requested right and what information they need to assess the request. Before using anything, obtain a written agreement that clearly covers the assets and uses you need, along with any conditions, approvals, fees, and credit requirements.
Keep an evidence trail and escalate when needed. Save the records you checked, dates, names, responses, and any documents supporting ownership or authority. If ownership is split, ask the first contact to identify the other rights holders. If the evidence conflicts or the project has significant commercial or reputational stakes, have a lawyer experienced in intellectual property review the ownership and proposed agreement before proceeding.

Common Mistakes

Assuming the developer owns everything. A studio may have created the game while a publisher, parent company, or separate contributor controls some rights.
Treating a copyright notice as a complete ownership record. It is a useful lead, not necessarily proof that the named party controls every asset or can license every proposed use.
Confusing copyright and trademark. Permission to use a game title or logo does not automatically cover character art, music, dialogue, or footage, and the reverse may also be true.
Relying on a store listing, fan wiki, or search result alone. These can help locate leads but may be outdated or incomplete. Confirm important details with primary sources and the prospective licensor.
Starting with a vague request. Without the asset, use, territory, and term, a company may not be able to identify the relevant department or rights package.
Assuming availability means permission. A game being downloadable or its content appearing online does not grant a license for reuse.

Tips

Use a simple rights table: asset, likely owner, evidence, contact, response, and unresolved questions.
Search the original-language title and the names of the publisher and developer as they appeared at release; company names and ownership can change.
Ask whether permission covers promotional materials, excerpts, adaptations, platforms, and sublicensing if your project needs them. Spell out only the rights you actually need.
Keep the final signed agreement and any written approvals with the project files. Confirm that the agreement identifies the correct legal entity and assets.

Troubleshooting

No licensing contact is listed: Use the company’s official general or business contact and ask to be routed to licensing, legal, or rights administration. Keep the message concise and request a referral if that company does not control the rights.
The original company no longer exists: Search official acquisition announcements and relevant corporate records for a successor or assignee. If the trail is unclear, do not presume that a similarly named company inherited the rights.
Two parties claim ownership: Ask each party to specify which assets and rights it controls and what documents support that position. Pause use until the conflict is resolved; get legal advice if the dispute affects your project.
The rights holder does not reply: Follow up through another official channel after a reasonable interval. Silence is not approval, so do not publish or distribute the material while waiting.
The game has multiple contributors or licensed content: Request an asset-by-asset rights breakdown and ask whether the proposed license excludes any third-party material. You may need separate permissions, especially for music or recognizable third-party content.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the game publisher usually own the rights?

Not necessarily. The publisher may own or administer some rights, while a developer, parent company, music owner, or other contributor controls others. Verify the specific asset and intended use.

Can I license a game character from the developer?

Possibly, but first confirm that the developer owns or is authorized to license that character for your proposed use. A development credit by itself does not establish that authority.

Does a copyright notice tell me who to contact?

It can provide a useful starting point, but it may not identify every rights holder or current licensing contact. Cross-check it with official company information and ask the prospective licensor to confirm its authority.

Do I need separate permission for game music?

Often, yes. Music can involve rights held or administered by parties other than the game publisher, such as composers or music publishers. Check the credits and request confirmation covering the exact use.

Can I use the game while I am still checking ownership?

Do not assume that research, public availability, or a pending inquiry authorizes reuse. Wait for permission that covers your intended use, or use material for which you have confirmed rights.

When should I consult a lawyer?

Seek qualified intellectual-property advice when ownership is disputed or unclear, the project is commercially significant, the agreement is complex, or you need rights across multiple countries or types of media.

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.