05-16-2005, 09:03 AM
It all depends upon the contract. In most contracts you can sell your "rights" to reproduce a copyrighted work but then again in the manga situation it includes translating then producing more so I think it takes some more negoiations to sign over those rights. Unless the company gets an offer to buy the rights to a series I think they just hold on to the licenses till they expire as they lost enough money just buying it and don't wanna waste money trying to sell it.