Fan Work Guidelines

01Scope of these Guidelines

Content covered

These Guidelines apply to fan works based on the following content relating to us and our talents (the “Content”):

• Character designs, illustrations and 3D models of our talents to which we hold the rights
• Music, audio recordings and video we have produced and released
• Streams and videos published by us or our talents on YouTube and other streaming platforms

Content that is private or paid — such as members-only streams and ticketed streams or event footage — falls outside these Guidelines. If we find such content being used without permission, we may take action, including legal measures.

Who these Guidelines apply to

These Guidelines apply to fan works created by individuals and unincorporated groups (dōjin circles and the like), in Japan and elsewhere. They do not apply to corporations, or to activities substantially undertaken by a corporation. If that applies to you, please contact us directly.

Your agreement

By publishing a fan work based on the Content, you are deemed to have agreed to all of these Guidelines. If you do not agree, you may not publish fan works based on the Content.

No application or notice to us is required for activities that stay within these Guidelines. Please create freely.

02What counts as a fan work

In these Guidelines, a “fan work” means an expressive work to which you have added new value through your own creativity, based on our Content (characters, illustrations, audio, video, logos and so on).

03Restrictions on generative AI (strictly enforced)

To protect the identity of our talents and the rights of creators, we set out the following rules on generative AI (including but not limited to image generation, voice synthesis and text generation).

04Prohibited content

Fan works involving any of the following are prohibited in all forms.

• Use as a business activityUsing the Content as a business activity beyond the scope of fan activity (see “05 Selling and distribution“).
• Sexual or graphic content (R-18 / R-18G)Sexual or violent depictions contrary to public order and morals, excessive nudity, and grotesque expression.
• Defamation and infringementContent that defames, discriminates against or attacks our talents, us or others; content that damages the reputation or dignity of a third party; and content that infringes third-party rights (copyright, portrait rights, publicity rights and so on).
• Passing work off as officialUse of official logos, claiming a work is official, or any expression suggesting the work is supplied or endorsed by us.
• Political, religious or antisocial usePromotion of particular ideologies, beliefs, religious or political messages, and use in antisocial activities.
• Discriminatory expressionContent liable to lead to discrimination on grounds of race, belief, religion, gender, social status and so on.
• Advertising other businessesUsing fan works to advertise or promote other content, products or services.
• Serious damage to a talent’s imageContent that departs markedly from a talent’s established character or worldview and is judged to harm their activities, or that the talent finds distressing.

05Selling and distribution

Charging for your work is fine, within the scope of a hobby

If you are an individual or an unincorporated group (a dōjin circle and the like) distributing dōjinshi or dōjin goods as a hobby, you may charge for them. The same applies whether you distribute at an event venue or by mail order through a dōjin marketplace.

What you may not do is run it as a business, beyond the scope of fan activity.

How we look at whether something is a business

We look at the activity as a whole, considering points such as:

• how many you make, and what you charge for them
• whether it is ongoing and repeated
• whether the way you announce and sell has outgrown a hobby
• the nature of the work itself

If we conclude it is a business, we may ask you to stop distributing. If you are unsure where the line falls, please do not wait for us to decide — get in touch. Ask before you start and we will give you an answer for your particular case.

What cannot be distributed

Items that simply reproduce official materials are not fan works to begin with (see “02 What counts as a fan work“). These cannot be distributed, free or paid.

Three-dimensional works

For figures, garage kits and other three-dimensional works, please contact us before you begin production. Separate permission may be required for each event at which you distribute.

Illustrations we commissioned

If you are an illustrator who drew for us under contract and you wish to collect that work into an art book or similar for distribution, we will review what is included. Please contact us individually beforehand.

06Fan-funded advertising

Adverts that fans pay for and place at stations, on the street or on social media to mark a birthday or anniversary mean a great deal to our talents. At the same time, they are seen by the general public and cannot be taken back once they run, so we set out separate rules for them below.

Apply to us first — this is required

Unlike other fan activities, fan-funded advertising requires an application and our permission in advance. Before you book media space or submit artwork, please contact us with the following. We will come back to you with our answer and any conditions.

• The medium, location and period you have in mind
• Your design (a rough is fine at this stage)
• How the cost will be funded — by you alone, or with contributions from others
• Your contact details

Once the design is final, please send us the final artwork as well. We will review it before it runs.

What you may use

You may use illustrations you have created yourself, or commissioned someone to create for you. You may not use official key visuals, screen captures from streams, or images taken from social media or websites.

As for our official logo, we will supply the data to applicants whose application has been approved. Please use the data we send exactly as supplied — do not process, distort, recolour or crop it. The data may not be used for any purpose other than the fan-funded advert it was supplied for.

Where you use the official logo, please include the notice “© StudioAbyssInc.” in a clearly visible place within the advert.

Where and what cannot run

• Anything falling under “04 Prohibited content“
• Media that carry political or religious messaging, or anything comparable
• Premises or media operating a business contrary to public order and morals
• Cases where the talent themselves does not want the advert to run

Costs and raising funds

All costs of running the advert are borne by the person placing it. We do not contribute to the cost.

If you raise funds from others (contributions, crowdfunding and so on), it is a condition that the money raised is used only for the advert and that you do not profit from any surplus. When you invite contributions, state in advance what the money will be used for and what will happen to any surplus.

If goods are produced or distributed in connection with the advert, please also read “05 Selling and distribution“.

After it runs

We and our talents may feature your advert on streams and social media. If you are happy to, we would love to receive photos once it is up.

Who may apply

• Minors may not apply. This holds even with the consent of a guardian, or where someone applies on their behalf.
• Members of organised crime groups or other antisocial forces, and anyone connected with them, may not apply.

Even after an advert has gone up, we may ask for it to be taken down if it turns out to breach these Guidelines. We accept no responsibility for disputes arising between the advertiser and any third party in connection with a fan-funded advert.

07Platform monetisation

Using the monetisation programmes offered by video platforms such as YouTube and niconico — advertising revenue, gifts, tips and so on — is permitted in principle, as long as you follow these Guidelines.

However, where a stream or video includes content owned by a third party (music or games to which we do not hold the rights), you must obtain permission from that rights holder yourself and follow their guidelines, at your own responsibility.

08Music and clip videos

Using our music

We welcome cover performances of music we have produced. However, distributing or streaming our official audio recordings as they are, without modification, is prohibited.

Clip videos

Clips of our streams are permitted only where all of the following are met.

• Include the URL and title of the source video in the description or another clearly visible place.
• Do not use private or paid content, such as members-only or ticketed streams.
• Do not edit maliciously — for example by cutting material out of context — or alter the material in ways that demean a talent.
• Do not use thumbnails with text or images that misrepresent what was said, or that are excessively sensational.

We may ask you to remove clip videos that breach these Guidelines or that we otherwise consider inappropriate. Please act promptly if we contact you.

09Our use of your fan works

Featuring your work on streams and social media

We and our talents may feature your fan works on streams and social media. By publishing your work, you are taken to have agreed to this use. We may adjust the display size to fit the screen, or crop it in ways that do not spoil how the work reads.

Merchandise and official releases

There may be times when we would like to develop your work into official merchandise or official content. That is not covered by the agreement above. In every such case we will contact the creator in advance, discuss the terms, and go ahead only if we reach an agreement. We will never turn a work into a product without asking the creator first.

Hashtags

Using the hashtag designated by each talent makes it easier for us and for the talent to find your work, so please do use it. Not using one does not change anything described above.

10Other terms

• Where we judge a work to breach these Guidelines, we may ask for it to be taken down or for distribution to stop. Please follow our instructions promptly.
• Regardless of these Guidelines, we may ask an individual to stop using the Content where we consider it necessary.
• We accept no responsibility for any dispute arising in connection with fan works based on our Content. Please create at your own risk.
• These Guidelines may be changed without notice. After a revision, the latest version applies retroactively to all fan works. We accept no responsibility for any loss arising from a revision.
• These Guidelines are governed by the laws of Japan.
• Any dispute arising between you and us in connection with these Guidelines shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Nagoya District Court as the court of first instance.

11Contact

If anything remains unclear after reading these Guidelines, please get in touch below. Please allow some time for a reply.

No application or contact is needed for activity that stays within these Guidelines. Please create with confidence.