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FAN CREATION POLICY

Castle of Blackwater Content Policy & IP Guidelines For Fans and Unlicensed Creators

We’re thrilled every time we see fan creations inspired by Castle of Blackwater – your drawings, animations, crafts, and more. Your creativity is truly inspiring, and we wholeheartedly encourage you to continue sharing your amazing works with us. 

However, for those considering commercializing their fan art or creations, there are important considerations to keep in mind! This guide is designed to help you navigate the use of Castle of Blackwater characters, names, phrases, scenes, stories, logos, or artwork (herein referred to as “Castle of Blackwater IP”). 

Please be aware that not following these guidelines could have implications for you and your creations. Whether your work is for personal enjoyment, limited sales, educational purposes, streaming, or other uses, we aim to clarify your queries with these points. 

We strongly advise reviewing these guidelines thoroughly before contacting us about licensing opportunities.

Guidelines for What is Prohibited

We kindly ask our fans to adhere to the following limitations: 

  • Refrain from large-scale production or distribution of any fan-made content featuring Castle of Blackwater IP. ‘Mass production’ here refers to producing 100 units or more via a third-party manufacturer, where production is outsourced beyond your personal capacity. 
  • Don’t use the Castle of Blackwater IP in any manner that could be perceived as offensive, distasteful, racist, sexist, vulgar, derogatory, or defamatory. 
  • Do not claim or imply that your fan creations are officially endorsed, licensed, or approved by Castle of Blackwater B.V. (use the provided disclaimers in most cases).
  • Do not mix Castle of Blackwater IP with third-party intellectual property. We respect other creators and expect our fans to do the same. 
  • Do not distribute or sell replicas or direct copies of Castle of Blackwater IP itself.
  • Avoid using crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter or Indiegogo to produce merchandise based on Castle of Blackwater IP, even for orders below 100 units.
  • Refrain from creating NFTs (non-fungible tokens) or cryptocurrencies using Castle of Blackwater IP.
  • Do not associate Castle of Blackwater IP with religious or political themes, including depictions of religious or political figures, symbols, logos, or any related iconography.

1.      Non-Commercial Use

You are welcome to utilize Castle of Blackwater IP for personal, non-commercial (non-profit) activities. Examples of this include sharing fan art on social media platforms like Twitter, creating a limited number of custom T-shirts for private events, or organizing a Castle of Blackwater-themed birthday celebration. 

Please note: Castle of Blackwater B.V. does not provide licenses for the personal, non-commercial use of Castle of Blackwater IP.

Examples – Permitted Non-Commercial Use

  • Sharing your fan art on social media platforms, depicting characters from Castle of Blackwater, with a caption like, “Take a look at this fan creation where I’ve reimagined my friends and me as characters from Castle of Blackwater!” 
  • Crafting a limited series of T-shirts incorporating Castle of Blackwater IP for use at a private gathering or event.

Examples – Non-Permitted Non-Commercial Use

  • Displaying fan art that suggests an official connection or endorsement by Castle of Blackwater, such as placing the official Castle of Blackwater logo prominently in your artwork or using captions like “Castle of Blackwater creation by Castle of Blackwater B.V.” 
  • Utilizing Castle of Blackwater IP, including logos and fonts, in a manner that might lead fans to mistakenly believe your work is officially licensed. 
  • Engaging in the large-scale sale of items like prints, T-shirts, or other materials that feature Castle of Blackwater IP. 
  • Employing Castle of Blackwater IP in a way that is offensive, vulgar, defamatory, or violent, or in any other manner considered inappropriate or harmful to the Castle of Blackwater brand. This includes, but is not limited to, content that is racist, sexist, or potentially harmful to others. 
  • Incorporating Castle of Blackwater IP in depictions of religious or political symbols and themes.

2. Educational Use/Teaching

Educators are permitted to incorporate Castle of Blackwater IP into teaching resources for small group lessons and team-building exercises. However, we request that these materials not be distributed broadly or sold. 

Please note: Castle of Blackwater B.V. does not provide licenses for the use of Castle of Blackwater IP in educational contexts.

Examples – Permitted Educational/Teaching Use
  • Developing and engaging in an interactive classroom game inspired by Castle of Blackwater IP. 
  • Incorporating Castle of Blackwater IP into an interactive presentation or in a program that extends across the entire school. 
  • Distributing the aforementioned educational materials to other educators within your school without any cost.
Examples – Non-Permitted Educational/Teaching Use
  • Sharing or commercializing educational resources such as games, narratives, and slide presentations. 
  • Operating a website or online store for distributing (whether free or for sale) educational content that incorporates Castle of Blackwater IP. 
  • Employing Castle of Blackwater IP in educational content to represent religious or political symbols and themes.

3. Small Batch Sales – Locally/In-Person

You are allowed to locally sell physical copies of your fan creations on a small scale, provided that these items are not manufactured, printed, or produced in large quantities. 

Please note: Castle of Blackwater B.V. does not grant licenses for the small-scale, local commercialization of products featuring Castle of Blackwater IP.

Examples – Permitted Small Batch Sales – Locally/In-Person
  • Offering handcrafted clay figurines inspired by Castle of Blackwater characters at a community craft fair.
  • Selling a small number of original, fan-created artworks at a convention. 
  • Marketing a limited number of handmade crochet dolls based on Castle of Blackwater characters. 
  • Producing bespoke, commissioned artwork, such as unique “adoptable” creations.
Examples – Non-Permitted Small Batch Sales – Locally/In-Person
  • Producing and commercializing a large quantity of T-shirts adorned with Castle of Blackwater characters, regardless of whether they are printed at home or elsewhere.
  • Purchasing and reselling a collection of unofficial “Castle of Blackwater” plush toys sourced from an external supplier. 
  • Engaging in the production and widespread distribution of unlicensed “Castle of Blackwater” plush toys. 
  • Marketing products in a manner that suggests or implies a connection, endorsement, or official partnership with Castle of Blackwater B.V. 
  • Offering for sale any items that incorporate religious or political symbols or themes alongside Castle of Blackwater IP.

4. Small Batch Sales – Online

You are allowed to sell your own handmade fan creations featuring Castle of Blackwater IP through personal online stores (such as Etsy or Shopify). These fan-made items should be sold in limited numbers, where ‘limited quantity’ refers to the amount you can personally handcraft (for instance, if you can make 150 units by hand, then that’s your limit). These products should be predominantly handmade with minimal involvement from manufacturers or professional services. 

However, even with your own online store and self-made products, the following are not permitted: 

  • Selling merchandise featuring Castle of Blackwater IP in bulk quantities; 
  • Offering items with Castle of Blackwater IP on dropshipping platforms where they are produced, printed, and/or shipped by a third-party distributor; 
  • Creating and selling harmful, deceptive, or unauthorized adaptations, clones, or modifications using Castle of Blackwater IP; 
  • Selling 3-D models associated with Castle of Blackwater IP. 

When selling small-scale items online, please include this disclaimer in a prominent location on the sales page: “This product is independently created and not officially endorsed or sponsored by Castle of Blackwater B.V. It includes materials that are the property of Castle of Blackwater B.V. LLC. © Castle of Blackwater B.V.” 

Please note: Castle of Blackwater B.V. does not grant licenses for the small-scale, online sale of products featuring Castle of Blackwater IP.

Examples – Permitted Small Batch Sales – Online
  • Offering handcrafted clay figurines inspired by Castle of Blackwater characters on your Etsy shop, including the required disclaimer. 
  • Marketing a small number of original, fan-created artworks on your own website, ensuring the inclusion of the necessary disclaimer. 
  • Selling a limited series of handmade crochet dolls based on Castle of Blackwater characters on your Etsy store, accompanied by the appropriate disclaimer. 
  • Arranging with a manufacturer or printer for a one-off, limited production of no more than 100 units of items like enamel pins or charms.
Examples – Non-Permitted Small Batch Sales – Online
  • Uploading and commercializing products with Castle of Blackwater IP on dropshipping platforms like Redbubble or Teepublic. 
  • Engaging a manufacturer for the mass production of items featuring Castle of Blackwater IP for online sales. 
  • Offering downloadable content that includes Castle of Blackwater IP, such as 3-D printing files, music files, digital assets, logos, etc. 
  • Marketing any limited-run items featuring Castle of Blackwater IP without including the necessary disclaimer. 
  • Selling limited-edition items that combine Castle of Blackwater IP with religious or political symbols or themes.

5. Streaming, Fan Games, and Entertainment

We are thrilled by the enthusiasm of our community and greatly enjoy seeing fans engage with and stream Castle of Blackwater. We wholeheartedly support streamers and content creators in enjoying and sharing their experiences with Castle of Blackwater and its IP. However, we ask that you refrain from using Castle of Blackwater IP in any promotional or marketing materials for your streams, as part of your Twitch channel integrations, or in association with any related entertainment services. For detailed information on our broadcasting guidelines, please refer to Terms of use: Section 8. 

Please note: Castle of Blackwater B.V. is not currently considering licensing applications related to the development or distribution of ports, modifications, or sequels of Castle of Blackwater. Additionally, Castle of Blackwater B.V. does not grant licenses for the streaming or distribution of Castle of Blackwater gameplay videos.

Examples – Permitted use of the Castle of Blackwater IP – Streaming, Fan Games, and Entertainment
  • Broadcasting gameplay of Castle of Blackwater with friends on streaming platforms like Twitch, YouTube, or others. 
  • Posting gameplay videos of Castle of Blackwater on YouTube or Twitch as Video on Demand (VODs). 
  • Creating personal emotes that are either self-drawn or commissioned specifically for your use.
Examples – Non-Permitted use of the Castle of Blackwater IP – Streaming, Fan Games, and Entertainment
  • Using Castle of Blackwater IP, such as character images or in-game content, in your promotional, social media, or streaming graphics and overlays. 
  • Commercializing streaming assets like overlays, emote packs, or alerts that incorporate Castle of Blackwater IP for widespread use. 
  • Employing Castle of Blackwater IP in the distribution of harmful software or content.
  • Featuring religious or political symbols or themes in conjunction with Castle of Blackwater IP in your streaming content, including in marketing, social media, and streaming overlays. 

While we strive to cover all possible scenarios in these guidelines, please note that this is a general guide and might not address every specific situation.

Disclaimer

Please understand that these guidelines do not grant any proprietary rights or licenses for the use of Castle of Blackwater IP. Castle of Blackwater B.V. and its affiliated entities retain the authority to issue formal takedown notices for any content that violates the intellectual property rights of Castle of Blackwater B.V. Additionally, Castle of Blackwater B.V. maintains the right to halt or limit your usage of our IP at its discretion. Furthermore, Castle of Blackwater B.V. may alter these guidelines at any time and without prior notification.