Avantris LLC Fan Content Policy & Guidelines
Last Updated: August 23rd, 2024
We absolutely love all of the fan-made creations our amazing community has produced over the years. All of the art, stories, videos, music, crafts, and more that has been shared with us has been an endless source of joy and inspiration to everyone at Avantris.
To further support all the talent our community puts into showing their love, we’ve put together the following general guidelines. Please read these guidelines carefully before making and sharing any fan creations.
FAN CREATIONS MUST BE FREE (UNLESS…)
Your fan creations must be for your own personal use or freely shared with the community (except as explicitly allowed regarding creators or as permitted in a limited capacity, as described below).
Creating and sharing free, non-commercial fan creations based on Avantris’ intellectual property for the community to view and enjoy is generally allowed.
For example, you can make a themed costume based on our characters for your personal cosplay. But you may not insinuate that the costume is official or endorsed by Avantris.
Making and selling limited, handmade, and transformative fan creations inspired by our intellectual property is generally fine and does not require getting express written permission from us, so long as those creations follow these guidelines.
For example, you can sell fan art inspired by Avantris at conventions. But you may not sell your creations as part of a large-scale commercial enterprise or business venture.
Examples of selling permitted fan creations includes limited editions, one-of-a-kind artwork, handmade items, and individually produced unique creations. Typically, permitted fan creations can be displayed and sold at conventions, personal gatherings, or individual (non-commercial) websites. However, you are not permitted to mass-produce or mass-distribute fan creations without our express written permission to do so.
Selling anything that has our intellectual property in it as part of a large-scale commercial enterprise or business venture without our permission would be infringing on our rights. Fan creations must be strictly non-commercial (except as explicitly allowed, as described here). This includes any money exchanging hands, actively or passively, and licensing your fan creations to third parties.
MAKE IT CLEAR IT’S FAN CONTENT
Your fan creations must not look official or sponsored by us. You may not say nor imply that your fan creations are endorsed, sponsored, or approved by Avantris.
For example, you can write fan fiction set in Avantris that features our characters. But you may not use official Avantris logos, trademarks, or branding in a way that suggests your fan creation is official or endorsed by Avantris.
If you’d like to go a step further you can add the following disclaimer, but it isn’t required:
“This [fan fiction/story/artwork/website] is a fan creation and is not endorsed, sponsored, or approved by Avantris. All characters, settings, and other elements are the property of Avantris. This work is unofficial and for non-commercial purposes only.”
USE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RESPONSIBLY
Use of intellectual property (IP) is at your own risk - it is up to you to consider these guidelines in relation to what you may be doing with our intellectual property. We have the right to stop or restrict use of Avantris’ IP at any time if we decide it misinterprets these rules or uses our IP inappropriately, especially if the work is being sold commercially.
For example, you can create a fan video discussing the lore of our world, using clips and images for illustration. But you may not upload our content without any original commentary or transformation.
The more of our intellectual property you use, the more it is really a duplication rather than a fan creation. You may not include a substantial amount of our content in your fan creation, and we decide how much is too much.
Also note that these guidelines only apply to our intellectual property. We can’t give permission or assurances regarding what is acceptable to other IP owners. It is up to you to find the guidelines of, or obtain specific permission from, those owners. If we learn that your fan creation also includes other people’s IP (like in crossovers or mashups) without their permission, we may ask you to take it down.
UPHOLD OUR COMMUNITY VALUES
Keep your fan creations respectful and positive. Fan creations must be appropriate for our audience and consistent with the spirit and tone of Avantris (as determined by us). Fan creations should be used in a manner that will enhance and not damage the reputation and goodwill associated with Avantris or its community.
For example, you can draw fan art depicting our characters in creative new scenarios. But you may not depict our characters in a way that is derogatory or harmful to any group of people.
For example, you can host a fan event or discussion group about our campaigns. But you may not allow or promote hate speech, bullying, or exclusionary behavior at these events.
It is especially important to us that fan creations don’t hurt our fans. We are firmly committed to furthering a community of inclusivity, safety, and kindness. See our Values Statement at https://legendsofavantris.com/values-statement/.
FOLLOW THE LAW OF THE LAND
Fan creations must comply with applicable law, may not violate the rights of others, and must not be obscene. You are solely responsible to know the laws that govern you in your region, state, country, and dimension.
Also, please don’t pull us into any legal battles. If that happens, you’re responsible for paying all of our costs, including attorney’s fees, and any resulting judgment or settlement.
SUPPORT FOR CREATORS
Individual fans are permitted to monetize their content with sponsorships, ad revenue (such as YouTube), and donations so long as the content meets the requirements of these guidelines.
Don’t promote or endorse inappropriate or offensive sponsors. Make it clear (verbally or visually) that they are acting as a sponsor only, and don’t associate Avantris with your sponsor in any way.
Avantris Content
The content that we share for free such as our shorts on TikTok and YouTube, our long-form media on YouTube and Twitch, or stuff we’ve shared on Discord, can be copied and remixed to your heart’s content so long as it isn’t overly duplicative (see “Using Intellectual Property Responsibly” above).
For example, you can take clips from Once Upon A Witchlight and produce a supercut video of every time someone refers to that one recurring joke that makes you laugh every time, and then upload that to YouTube. But you may not download your favorite YouTube Short and re-upload it directly to some other platform (or the same platform).
Avantris Credit
When using our content, please apply the following credit where applicable:
Video Description: "Clips from 'Legends of Avantris,' courtesy of Avantris LLC [https://legendsofavantris.com/fan-content-guidelines/]"
Verbal Credit: "Thanks to Legends of Avantris for allowing creators like us to use clips from their channel!" (Note that this does not say “allowing us to use” which could imply that we endorsed or approved your content)
Avantris Music
As with other types of fan creations and use of our IP, it's important to understand the difference between personal fan creations and commercial use. Avantris does not offer the songs it owns for commercial use without our permission for any purpose. Businesses will need to obtain a proper license from us before using our music.
If you're making content purely for personal enjoyment or to share with the community (like YouTube videos, fan art, or podcasts), you are welcome to use our music. However, please note that this usage may be subject to certain limitations depending on the platform, and that we still reserve the right to remove creations that we believe conflict with our guidelines. By using our music, you acknowledge that generated revenue might be shared according to platform rules, and that you may not be able to monetize your content without our involvement.
For example, you could play Hank! in the background while playing a cool sci-fi game on Twitch, and even accept donations from viewers. But you may not download Hank! and stream it all by itself on Twitch like a radio station, or re-upload the song to YouTube directly.
Music Credit
When using our music, please make use of the following credit where applicable:
Song Title: [ ] | Artists: [ ] | Courtesy of Avantris LLC: [https://legendsofavantris.com/fan-content-guidelines/]
For example: Song Title: Crooked Moon | Artists: Legends of Avantris, The Blasting Company, Leonie Evans | Courtesy of Avantris LLC [https://legendsofavantris.com/fan-content-guidelines/]
TRADEMARKS & LEGAL
Don’t use Avantris’ logos and trademarks, especially on stuff like t-shirts, hats, or any product similar to Avantris’ offerings. You would need permission from us to do that, even if you aren’t selling them. Below is a list of Avantris trademarks that you may not use in your fan creations:
- Avantris
- Legends of Avantris
- Avantris Entertainment
- The Crooked Moon.
Don’t mess with legal notices in our stuff. Don’t remove any logos or trademarks existing within our content. Don’t use Avantris’ intellectual property in other products or games. Do not register or use any domain name that is confusingly similar to our domain names.
COLLABORATE RESPECTFULLY
We hope that you understand that these guidelines are intended to protect Avantris and our intellectual property so we can keep making cool stuff and sharing this journey with everyone. We reserve the right to change these guidelines at any time by posting the revised guidelines to our website. Any existing fan creation that no longer complies with these guidelines due to a revision must be modified to be compliant.
These guidelines are intended to remove barriers to creating and sharing. By making fan creations, you agreed to let everyone (including Avantris) share and use your stuff without asking your permission. We’re free to view, share, copy, and use your fan creations without paying you anything, obtaining your approval, or giving you credit (sometimes we do, but we’re not required to).
These guidelines apply to fan creations generally. If Avantris’ or its partners have specific guidelines for creations or content elsewhere, please follow those guidelines.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
This section answers some of the most common questions we receive about our community guidelines, fan creations, and content usage.
What is Avantris’ intellectual property?
Avantris' intellectual property (IP) includes, but is not limited to, characters, creatures, settings, worlds, storylines, plot elements, artwork, designs, audio, music, text, written content, media content, and other materials created by Avantris.
Can I create a fan page or website about Avantris?
Absolutely, so long as it complies with these guidelines. Once upon a time Derek made websites for a living so he’d love to take a look especially!
Does “fan creation” include web videos and live streams?
Yes it does!
Can I include fan creations in my artistic portfolio?
Certainly, so long as you make it clear your work is not affiliated with or used by Avantris.
Can I make crypto-currencies, blockchain, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), or similar cryptotechnologies for Avantris?
We ask that you avoid using cryptotechnologies in your Avantris fan creations. While we understand the evolving interest and innovation in these areas, integrating cryptotechnologies in fan creations can introduce complications and barriers that we want to avoid.
Businesses or enterprises are strictly prohibited from using cryptotechnology with Avantris' IP without express permission; we'll take necessary steps to protect our IP and community.
What happens if a fan creation doesn’t comply with these guidelines?
We have the right to stop or restrict use of Avantris’ intellectual property at any time if we decide it misinterprets these rules or uses our intellectual property inappropriately.
That being said, we made these guidelines to protect ourselves and our community from the truly bad actors out there. If something doesn’t comply and we can get in touch with that person, first contact probably won’t be an army of lawyers knocking down the door, but more “Hey, could you change that or take that down for X, Y, or Z reason? Thanks!”
Can I make an app or video game?
For licensing and other business reasons, we simply cannot allow our intellectual property in software applications of any kind regardless of whether or not they follow these guidelines, including those produce by individual fans
Can I use generative artificial intelligence to create content related to Avantris?
We strictly prohibit the use of generative artificial intelligence as a business, and we do not consent or give permission to the use of AI when it comes to our intellectual property or our likenesses. Any creation, fan or otherwise, that violates this policy is prohibited.
Do I need permission to get a tattoo related to Avantris?
You certainly don’t need our permission here. Even though copyright protection applies to all artwork regardless of the medium we aren't planning on coming after any tattoo artists or owners for putting art related to Avantris on yourself. It’s your body!
Can I create content featuring the real-life counterparts of Avantris members?
Actor names and likenesses are part of Avantris’ intellectual property. We love seeing fan creations about our worlds, characters, and stories of fantasy just as much as we love seeing representations of the Avantris crew so long as they comply with these guidelines.
QUESTIONS?
If you still have questions about what you can and can’t do, please do not hesitate to reach out to us via our contact form (https://legendsofavantris.com/contact/) and we’ll try our best to promptly respond. This includes business inquiries for those who want to go from fan creation to collaboration, though we make no guarantees regarding who we choose to partner with.
Please do not send us unsolicited requests to review your fan creations or content to see if they are compliant with these guidelines; they will be deleted without review. General questions about these guidelines are good, but we can’t expressly review every fan creation one by one.
THANK YOU!
In general, we’re lenient when it comes to what is or isn’t allowed so long as these guidelines are being followed. The boundaries outlined here are set to protect our own interests and keep our community safe for all. We can’t wait to see what you have to share!