Fan content policy
As creators, we deeply appreciate it when members of our community produce fan content such as artwork, stories, music, and other types of media inspired by our work. With that said, however, we do have a duty to protect both our brand and our intellectual property.
The following fan content policy outlines the guidelines for creating and sharing fan-made content which relates to Kinoko and the Cult of Galaxy. Please read, familiarise yourself with, and adhere to these guidelines to ensure that your fan content respects our rights, our community standards, and intellectual property law.
What is fan content?
‘Fan content’ refers to all creative works based on or derived from Kinoko and the Cult of Galaxy. This can include gameplay screenshots/videos, fan art, fan fiction, fan videos, fan OCs (original characters), websites, blog posts, cosplay, and any other derivative content inspired by our games, characters, worlds, or stories.
What are the rules for fan content?
When creating and sharing fan content, please carefully ensure that you adhere to the following rules:
Ensure content is suitable for our audience
All fan content must be suitable for the same audience as our official content. Explicit or ‘NSFW’ content is strictly prohibited. This rule applies to anything else that may reasonably be deemed unsuitable for younger audiences, and anything likely to cause harm to any group of people, including, but not limited to, hate speech.
Ensure content is clearly unofficial
You should clearly and explicitly indicate that your content is fan-created, and not an official Kinoko and the Cult of Galaxy production. This can be done through disclaimers, such as ‘unofficial fan art’ or ‘fan-made video’ in your titles or descriptions.
Don’t use official assets
Do not use official assets – such as Kinoko and the Cult of Galaxy logos, artwork, and character renders – in your fan content. Doing so infringes upon our copyright, but also has the potential to cause confusion and make your fan content appear official or otherwise endorsed when it is not. In future, we hope to publish a library of assets which may be used in fan content, but, until that time, all fan content must be 100% original, using only assets produced by you.
Don’t imply approval or endorsement
Your fan content should not suggest that it has been officially approved or endorsed by Kinoko and the Cult of Galaxy. You should make it clear that your work represents your own interpretation or appreciation of our intellectual property.
Don’t produce fan content commercially
Do not generate profit from your fan content. You can share it for free, but the selling or otherwise monetisation of your fan content is prohibited. This includes charging for access (e.g. via pay-walls), selling prints, etc. This also includes taking art commissions featuring Kinoko and the Cult of Galaxy characters or other intellectual property.
Are there any exceptions?
There are exceptions to these rules, primarily for content that falls under the category of ‘commentary’. This includes content such as YouTube videos, reviews, and critiques, where you may use clips from our games, characters, or assets for the purpose of analysis, discussion, or review. This type of content may also be monetised (for instance, via ads or sponsorships), however it should not be pay-walled, and you should always adhere to fair use laws and provide appropriate attribution as required by copyright law.
Whilst we aim to avoid significant revisions to our fan content policy, we reserve the right to update it at any time, at our discretion. As such, we encourage you to review this policy regularly if continuing to produce fan content.
If you have any questions about our fan content policy, please feel free to contact us for clarification.