Hi Creators!
Today, we’re excited to announce the License Manager and Licenses catalog, a new way to partner with popular intellectual properties (IP) on Roblox across gaming, entertainment, retail, and more. Our vision is to empower all creators to easily use the franchises and creative works they love in their experiences through licenses from IP holders. We’ll be launching the License Manager and catalog in early Q3, and we can’t wait for you to try it out.
In the Licenses catalog, you’ll be able to request a license from owners of participating popular IPs for your experience. These licenses enable you to create full experiences based on the IP under the terms and revenue share outlined.
This launch will give IP owners a way to proactively offer a license for experiences they discover are using their IP. Creators will also have the opportunity to dispute use of IP in their experience, if they believe that their experience doesn’t contain that specific IP. As a refresher on Intellectual Property on Roblox, we recommend reviewing our previous DevForum post on IP and copyright work on Roblox.
Unlock new creative avenues and expand your reach using popular IP
Creating experiences using popular IP can make your content more recognizable and exciting to users! It’s a great opportunity to reach new audiences that already know and love certain characters, settings, storylines, and more. Once launched, all creators will be able to browse and apply for a license in the Licenses catalog for the IPs that they’re most interested in.
What does it mean for IP owners to offer a license for their IP on Roblox?
Licenses are a set of terms and conditions that determine how an IP can be used by creators to build experiences on Roblox. IP owners set a revenue share rate and experience eligibility requirements. Eligibility requirements may include the maximum allowed content maturity rating, minimum number of active players, and more. A license also has standard terms and specific content standards to follow and ensure the IP is being used properly.
When registering their IP to create a license, the owner needs to identify their trademarks and meet other documentation requirements. We’re also updating the Roblox Terms of Use on June 6th to include language on partnering with an IP owner under the terms of a license. We’ll share more here at launch.
Looking ahead
Soon we will reveal the first batch of IP partners when we launch the Licenses catalog. We also plan to eventually allow all IP holders to offer a license, including creators with the right documentation, which we expect will bring more variety. Down the road, we’ll enable new ways to partner with IPs on Roblox beyond Full Experience Licenses.
We’re excited about the potential this new feature holds for everyone within the creator community. Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to launch!
FAQs
What do I do if I’m using a popular IP today that isn’t under a license from the Licenses catalog?
- You must have explicit permission from the IP owner if you want to use their IP in your experience. We recommend removing any content that might use IP and isn’t covered by a license. There may be some creators and experiences that have reached agreements with IP owners on their own – if you already have a licensing agreement with the IP owner, those will still be valid. The Licenses catalog is meant to open up new opportunities for you to find and easily partner with IP you might be interested in.
Is this just for “big game studios”, or can I apply for a license with a game I want to build that doesn’t currently meet the eligibility requirements?
- This is for all creators! When applying for a license, the experience you pick is meant to showcase your abilities as a creator and could be partially or fully completed, or a fork of an existing game. Using the tools, the IP holder can review your application to build the experience around their IP and grant that experience a license.
Who qualifies as an IP Holder? Can I create a license for my IP?
- At launch we’ll be providing a method for IP holders to express interest. If you have the necessary legal documentation (including registered marks), you can register your IP and offer a license
How will I know if I’m following the rules of using the IP for my experience?
- Every license will come with terms and content standards for the IP. IP owners tend to have rules on what you can and cannot do with the IP. IP holders will be able to send you notifications if they think you need to make a change to your experience. It’s important to read the details of each license, so you can understand its requirements.
Will I be forced to use a template or approved assets in order to use the IP?
- No. We believe in this community having maximum creative expression. So long as you’re following the terms and content standards of the license, you can make or use your own assets. That said, some IP owners may have more strict requirements on how their IP can or can’t be used, and it’s important to review the content standards stated in the license associated with the agreement.
Can I create one level or a portion of my game based on an IP and request a license?
- You can only request or be offered a license for a full experience, this is best when the IP is central to your experience and woven throughout, justifying a license that comes with a royalty rate. In the future, we will explore other license types beyond full experience licenses.