Kawaii Katz 
🎀 Sanrio: licensed, unlicensed, and counterfeit
Look for a copyright line reading "© Sanrio Co., Ltd." plus a named distributor. Licensed goods always carry both. Fan-made goods carry neither and do not pretend to; counterfeits copy the character and get the paperwork wrong.
3 min read · updated August 26, 2026
Three different things, often confused
| Type | What it is | How you can tell |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed | Made under agreement with Sanrio | Copyright line and a named distributor |
| Fan-made | An artist’s own work, sold openly as such | No Sanrio marks, and no claim to any |
| Counterfeit | Pretending to be licensed | Character copied, paperwork wrong or missing |
Only the third one is a problem. Fan art at a convention is not trying to fool you, and the price and the stall tell you exactly what it is.
What licensed goods carry
- •A copyright line reading "SANRIO CO., LTD." with a year, on a sewn tag, a moulded stamp, or printed on the packaging.
- •A named licensee or distributor. A tag that says Hello Kitty but never mentions Sanrio or any company is the loudest warning there is.
- •A product or item number that matches the retailer’s listing.
- •Consistent character art. The face is drawn to a strict spec, so proportions that feel slightly off usually are.
Character tells
- •Hello Kitty has no mouth. A drawn or embroidered mouth is a counterfeit, every time.
- •The bow sits on her left ear from the viewer’s perspective, and the face is symmetrical.
- •Embroidery on genuine plush is dense and even. Fakes show loose stitching, gaps, and eyes at different heights.
- •Printing is sharp. Pixelation, banding or muddy colour means a copied file.
One honest caveat: some genuinely licensed goods made for one regional market carry tags in another language and look unfamiliar. Unfamiliar is not the same as fake. Check for the copyright line rather than for a look you recognise.
Where the risk actually is
Counterfeits concentrate in open marketplaces and social-media shops, especially on plush and bags, and especially at prices well under the going rate. A shop with a real returns address, a stated distributor, and photographs of the actual tags is doing the work that makes this checkable.