Ro-Kyu-Bu! Won’t Reach American Home Video

Sentai Filmworks has announced that it has consented to a request to sell back the American home video release rights to the 2011 Ro-Kyu-Bu! television series to its original Japanese distributor. The show’s original Japanese production committee wishes to withdraw all international home video release rights to the series, which included Sentai Filmwork’s domestic release license. Sentai Filmworks retains all other distribution rights to the series, however, which includes streaming and TV broadcast options.

My best guess is that the Japanese distributor realized that it owes royalties on home video releases of the show, possibly for music rights or due to some imagery that appears in the animation, so therefore wants to minimize distribution to minimize fiscal responsibility. Alternately the production committee could have realized that it can possibly be sued for copyright infringement due to something visible in the animation footage and wants to limit liability, but that later possibility contradicts continuing to allow international streaming distribution.

Source: Anime News Network