That's right, VIZ Media now holds the exclusive American product licensing rights to Hatsune Miku in North America - meaning VIZ, and only VIZ, gets to sell Miku-related items in the States.

This won't mean much right now as the Vocaloid software has yet to be sold to the States (though an English version of Miku will be coming to the U.S.), but VIZ does plan on showing Miku off during the 2011 Licensing International Expo, which will take place in Las Vegas from June 14 to June 16. VIZ plans to use the Expo to find potential partners that would help the company sell Miku products.

Sources: ANN, Japanator

San Francisco, CA (April 18, 2011) Viz Media, LLC (Viz Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, together with Japanese licensor Ohta Shuppan, welcomes renowned manga (graphic novel) artist Natsume Ono for a personal appearance and special event celebrating her work, hosted by the Kinokuniya Bookstores of America Company (Kinokuniya Bookstore) in New York City on Tuesday, May 10th starting at 7:00pm.

Kinokuniya Bookstore is located at 1073 Avenue of the Americas, between 40th St. & 41st St., New York City.

The event will feature commentary from Ono on her past and present works and her continued evolution as one of the foremost manga artists and graphic novel storytellers, hosted by Megumi Sato of Samurai Beat Radio. An audience Q&A session will follow. A raffle contest (open to all attendees, one raffle ticket per person) also will award one lucky Grand Prize winner an original Natsume Ono artwork, signed in-person by the artist; 2 additional runner-up winners will get a Natsume Ono print. Each winner will also have the opportunity to have Ono sign one personal item at the event.

Disney has brokered a deal with Viz Media for the airing rights to Naruto Shippuden. The show will begin airing in October on the Disney XD channel.