D5.1 - Report on the literature review

This report is the first deliverable of Work Package 5 (WP5) of the ANIMA MUNDI project, which brings together a consortium of thirteen organisations from academia and the cultural and creative industries to assess and enhance the competitiveness of the European Animation Industry (EAI). This deliverable provides the theoretical background for the project’s research activities on intellectual property (IP) management in the animation sector. It examines how IP is accessed, reused, commercialised, and exploited through distribution and export, situating the EAI within global cultural, economic and legal contexts.

Using desk-based qualitative methods, the report systematically reviews EU policies and academic literature related to IP practices across the animation value chain. It highlights significant gaps in data, particularly regarding production volumes, viewing patterns on video-on-demand platforms, and content catalogues. The report identifies key challenges facing the EAI, including difficulties in securing pre-production financing, the decline of broadcaster support, and the growing importance of IP exploitation strategies.

The analysis explores the effects of platformisation and new business models, which increasingly involve streaming platforms as co-owners of IP, as well as the entry of Asian co-producers. It also addresses issues of discoverability for European animation content among young audiences. The findings provide a basis for subsequent comparative legal, contractual, and economic analyses within WP5, and will inform future research tasks on AI, training initiatives, and international cultural relations. This report thus establishes a comprehensive framework for understanding the evolving dynamics of IP management in the European animation sector.