Boards›Story, Art, & Sound

@Riot. If I want to write or draw fanmade content, what can I do to not hinder YOUR work?

Solideus·3/12/2015, 11:45:35 AM·6 votes·853 views

Hey. Because of the nature of intellectual property and copyright there are complicated problems that can emerge with fanmade content. Fans get ideas and want to express them, of course. However, worst case scenario, the content creators of the fanmade material and Riot's producer's work can fall into legal issues.

Fanmade content is in a weird place legally. Content made by fans depend on the IP-holder allowing it to happen; to safekeep their legal protection they *could *just send out cease and desist-demands. Some companies have done so aggressively in the past. Riot allows it, thankfully.

One issue with them approving of fan-content, ironically, is that Riot can be accused of copyright infringement themselves if they are deemed to "steal" from fanmade work. I'm sure most fans have no intention of "locking up" ideas so Riot can't use them in the future, but that can regrettably be the consequence for legal reasons and otherwise. What is infringing for Riot to use and what is not is complicated, vague and often not intuitive.

My question to Riot's representatives is this: If I want to tell an original fanmade story, create a derivative design or otherwise produce using League of Legends characters, designs and other elements, is there anything I can do to not hinder your writers and artists from doing something similar in the future? I.e, can I do anything to forestall legal problems for Riot if your producers happen to intend a direction similar to mine for their own work?

For example, If I drew a new skin-design or a comic with LoL-characters engaged in an original story, I wouldn't want Riot to be utterly unable to create or write something similar to those ideas in the future. I've been itching to do some of those things but It'd be reassuring to hear about the above issues. I'd love to hear from you if you are able to explain.

Best regards, Solideus

9 Comments

Tsugaga3/12/2015, 12:02:53 PM3 votes

Someone hasn't read the terms of use.

"C. Unsolicited Idea Submissions. Riot Games values your feedback on its services and products, but please do not submit any creative ideas, suggestions or materials. Neither Riot Games nor any of its employees and/or contractors accept or consider unsolicited ideas, original creative artwork or other works, including, without limitation, ideas or suggestions for new or improved games or technologies, game or product enhancements, marketing plans or names for new games (collectively “Unsolicited Ideas”). Please do not send your Unsolicited Ideas to Riot Games or its employees and/or contractors. This policy is aimed at avoiding potential misunderstandings or disputes when Riot Games’ products or services might seem similar to Unsolicited Ideas that are submitted. If you do submit your Unsolicited Ideas to Riot Games or to any of its employees and/or contractors despite this policy, then you hereby acknowledge and agree that, from the time of transmission or dispatch, you grant Riot Games and its designees a worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, sublicenseable, transferable, assignable, non-exclusive and royalty-free right and license to use, reproduce, distribute, adapt, modify, translate, create derivative works of, publicly perform, publicly display, digitally perform, make, have made, sell, offer for sale and import your Unsolicited Ideas, including, without limitation, all copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, patents, industrial rights and all other intellectual and proprietary rights related thereto, in any media now known or hereafter developed, for any purpose whatsoever, commercial or otherwise, including, without limitation, giving the Unsolicited Ideas to others, without any compensation to you. To the extent necessary, you agree that you undertake to execute and deliver any and all documents and perform any and all actions necessary or desirable to ensure that the rights to use the Unsolicited Ideas granted to Riot Games as specified above are valid, effective and enforceable. You also give up any claim that any use by Riot Games and/or its licensees of your Unsolicited Ideas violates any of your rights, including but not limited to moral rights, privacy rights, rights to publicity, proprietary or other rights, and/or rights to credit for the material or ideas set for therein."

TLDR: They don't accept fan content, but if submitted then you're giving them rights to do anything they want.

OhOkYea3/12/2015, 11:59:55 AM1 votes

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Tsugaga3/12/2015, 12:27:42 PM1 votes

Yes posting it on the boards counts as submitting.

Tesla Effect3/13/2015, 8:54:01 PM1 votes

Every story that ever existed has already been told, so stop making excuses Riot and start chucking out some lore.

Bresn3/14/2015, 8:16:03 PM1 votes

Ok so judging from the comments.

Submit the work to Riot and let them turn it into a piece of trash with their terrible lore department.
Say something cheesy like "Everything belongs to Riot" and still have it converted into trash.