1. Policy / Purpose of these Guidelines
・These Guidelines have been established by Arc System Works Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “the Company,” “us,” “we”, and/or “our”) to support you in enjoying your own creative activities surrounding our Intellectual Property (hereinafter referred to as “our works”) with peace of mind.
・These Guidelines are intended to support fan creativity while preventing issues including (but not limited to) official misrepresentation, counterfeit goods, harassment, hate speech, and/or unlawful use of third-party rights. They are not intended to restrict fan interpretation, parody, community expression, or small-scale fan activity conducted in good faith.
・These Guidelines apply to individuals or “unincorporated organizations” (including but not limited to: Fan Content groups and/or “doujin” circles).
・For creative activities that comply with these Guidelines, there is no need to submit to any application process or notification to the Company.
・These Guidelines apply only to intellectual property owned by the Company. Content for which third parties hold rights, such as collaboration characters or music by external artists, are excluded from the scope of these Guidelines. This shall be governed by the regulations of the respective rights holders.
Furthermore, regarding the recording, physical distribution (such as on CDs), and digital distribution of creative works (including arrangements) that utilize music or sound sources from our works, separate permission and procedures may be required with respect to rights held by management organizations or other rights holders other than the Company. These Guidelines do not grant an exemption from these requirements.
2. Definitions of Fan Content, etc.
In these Guidelines, “Fan Content,” “Derivative Works,” and “Non-Profit Purposes” are defined as follows:
・Fan Content:
Fan Content is defined as the act of creating original works (including but not limited to: illustrations, manga, cosplay, novels, music arrangements, merchandise, 3D works/figures, etc.) based on the characters, stories, music, etc. of our works, to which you have added your own unique creativity.
・Derivative Works:
Derivative Works are defined as works created through Fan Content (including but not limited to: illustration data, books such as manga and novels, cosplay costumes and resulting photos/videos, music media and other fan-made audio, merchandise, 3D works, and any reproductions thereof, regardless of format).
・Non-Profit Purposes:
Non-Profit Purposes are defined as using Derivative Works within the scope of a hobby and not for the purpose of gaining profit, but to receive compensation or revenue approximately equal to the costs incurred for raw materials, etc. (production costs, tools, etc.), consistent with a hobby, not a commercial enterprise or for-profit motive.
Unlimited made-to-order production, continuous on-demand sales (including print-on-demand and the sale of downloadable data), continuous dropshipping, or commercial-scale pre-orders shall not be deemed to fall within Non-Profit Purposes. However, taking limited reservations for the purpose of estimating small print runs, setting aside copies, or managing inventory for event distribution may be deemed to fall within Non-Profit Purposes, provided that it remains within a scope that is not deemed to be for profit as defined above.
3. Publication and Distribution of Derivative Works
・When you publish or announce Derivative Works free of charge (including posting on websites, social media, and other online platforms), the Company will not exercise its rights as long as you comply with these Guidelines.
・When you distribute Derivative Works (providing Derivative Works or copies thereof to third parties, whether for a fee or free of charge) in a manner strictly limited to non-profit purposes, the Company will not exercise its rights as long as you comply with these Guidelines.
However, for events that have their own distribution conditions, such as the one-day copyright (same-day license) system for figures and garage kits, the rules of the respective events shall apply.
・These Guidelines do not transfer or assign any of the Company’s rights to you, and the rights regarding Fan Content and Derivative Works remain reserved by the Company. Regardless of the content of these Guidelines, the Company may take any measures it deems necessary regarding the use of Derivative Works.
4. Restrictions on the Use of Materials and Prevention of Company Misrepresentation
・Prohibition of unauthorized use of materials and unaltered reproductions:
Directly using materials of our works (official illustrations, voices, music, logos, marks, in-game content and data, official visuals, etc.) for Derivative Works, or producing, selling, or publishing items with little or no creative changes (exact replicas, imitations, etc.) by scanning, tracing, sampling, etc., is prohibited.
For the creation of videos and thumbnails featuring captured game footage, as well as live broadcasting, the separately established “Arc System Works Video Policy” shall apply rather than these Guidelines.
https://www.arcsystemworks.com/video-policy/jp/
・Prohibition of logo use:
Using the Company’s corporate logo or the official logos of our works in Derivative Works is prohibited.
・Prohibition of use of the Company’s copyright notices:
Using the Company’s copyright notices (including, but not limited to) “© ARC SYSTEM WORKS” and “© ASW” is prohibited.
・Prohibition of misrepresenting and/or “misleading as official/authorized”:
Content/expressions that may mislead people into believing that the Derivative Works are the Company’s official or authorized works or merchandise, activities that falsely claim to be officially sanctioned, or acts that mislead people into believing they have received authorization, sponsorship, affiliation, backing, or guarantee from the Company are prohibited. Furthermore, even if Derivative Works are published, announced, or distributed at an event sponsored, exhibited at, or backed by the Company, this does not mean the Company officially recognizes said Derivative Works.
5. Prohibited Expressions in Fan Content Activities
Publishing, exhibiting, distributing, etc. of Derivative Works that contain the following expressions and/or content are strictly prohibited:
・Content that causes (or intends to cause) defamation, discrimination, harassment, or significant brand damage toward the Company’s works, characters, or the fan community.
・Content that infringes upon, damages, or defames the intellectual property rights (including, but not limited to trademark rights, copyrights, design rights, etc.), portrait/likeness rights, other rights, honor, or dignity of third parties.
・Content intended for discrimination, hate speech, harassment, incitement to violence, attacks on specific individuals or groups, or use of our works for the official promotion, solicitation, fundraising, or similar activities of specific political, religious, or ideological organizations.
・The publication, announcement, display, or distribution of explicit sexual content in all-ages areas at events officially hosted or authorized by the Company.
・Content that violates the law, or that is overly grotesque and/or violent in a way that undermines the underlying spirit of our works.
Furthermore, for Derivative Works containing adult-oriented expressions (“mature/adult content”), you must strictly adhere to all relevant local and national statutes, regulations, and venue or distribution platform requirements. This may include, but is not limited to, mandatory age verification protocols, appropriate in-event zone requirements, required packaging, and clear labeling of the content. Please be advised that the Company reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to demand the immediate cessation of distribution or exhibition of any works it determines to be inappropriate.
6. Disclaimers, Requests for Cessation, and Revision of these Guidelines
・No response to individual inquiries:
Please note that, as a general rule, the Company cannot provide answers to individual questions regarding your content or interpretation of these Guidelines, the location of rights, specific criteria, etc.
・Requests for cessation of activities and deletion:
Regardless of the content of these Guidelines, in the event the Company deems certain Derivative Works inappropriate, the Company may at any time, at its sole discretion, request or demand measures such as stopping the use, publication, or distribution of said Derivative Works, and/or deleting it from posting sites/services. In such cases, please cease the activity without delay.
・Principle of self-responsibility:
Fan Content activities shall be conducted at your own risk. The Company shall not bear any responsibility even if you suffer damages or if a dispute arises between you and a third party.
・Changes to these Guidelines:
The structure and content of these Guidelines may be changed at any time without prior notice. Changes will take effect immediately upon being posted on the Company’s website. The Company shall not be responsible for any damages caused by changes or revisions to these Guidelines.
Arc System Works Co., Ltd.
Established August 24, 2026
