Overview #
You may not impersonate individuals, groups, or organizations to mislead, confuse, or deceive others, nor use a fake identity in a manner that disrupts the experience of others on CollectionStation.
CollectionStation provides a platform for people to share and receive a wide range of ideas and content, and we greatly value and respect the right to free expression. One way people on CollectionStation express themselves is by creating parodies, commentary, and fan accounts. These accounts are an important way people discuss topics they are passionate about, and we believe they can enrich conversations when the account’s identity does not deceive others. People are allowed to create parody, commentary, and fan accounts on CollectionStation provided that the accounts follow the requirements below.
What is a parody, commentary, or fan account? #
Under this policy, a parody, commentary, or fan account is an account that depicts another person, group, or organization in their profile to discuss, satirize, or share information about that entity. While these accounts may use elements of another’s identity, they also feature profile language that indicates the account is not affiliated with the subject of the profile. Accounts that post news updates about a specific entity, commonly known as newsfeed accounts, and role-playing accounts may also fall under this designation.
What is required under this policy? #
To avoid confusing others about an account’s affiliation, parody, commentary, and fan accounts must distinguish themselves in BOTH their account name and bio.
Account name
The account name should clearly indicate that the account is not affiliated with the subject portrayed in the profile. Accounts can indicate this by incorporating words such as, but not limited to, “parody,” “fake,” “fan,” or “commentary.” This language should be stated in a way that can be understood by the intended audience.
Please note, an account name is separate from the username (i.e. @username).
Bio
The bio should clearly state that the account is not affiliated with the subject portrayed in the profile. Non-affiliation can be indicated by incorporating words such as, but not limited to, “parody,” “fake,” “fan,” or “commentary.” This language should be stated in a way that can be understood by the intended audience.
In addition to meeting these requirements, your account must be fully compliant with the CollectionStation Rules and Terms of Service.
What is in violation of this policy? #
Accounts that fail to sufficiently distinguish their account name and bio are in violation of this policy. Additionally, the following behaviors may also violate this policy:
- Using language in the account name or bio that contradicts the required profile language (ex. “official”)
- Attempts to hide or obscure the required profile language through the use of excessively long account names or specialized fonts and characters
Please understand that an account that falls under this policy may be deemed not to violate our trademark policy or our rules regarding impersonation.
Who can report violations of this policy? #
CollectionStation responds to valid reports from individuals and trademark owners or their authorized representatives. In some instances where we have enough context to conduct an accurate review, CollectionStation will review accounts that are reported by bystanders.
How can I report violations of this policy? #
If an account is using your identity in a way that violates this policy, you or your authorized representative can submit an impersonation or trademark report here.
If you believe an account is misusing the identity of somebody else under this policy, you can flag it as a bystander by reporting directly from the account’s profile.
What happens if you violate this policy? #
The consequences for violating the policy depend on the severity and type of the violation, as well as an account’s history of previous violations. The actions we take may include:
Profile Modifications
When we receive a valid report, we may provide an opportunity to bring your account into compliance. If we determine you did not sufficiently distinguish your account name and bio, we may require you to edit the content on your profile.
Temporary Suspension
If you fail to make profile edits in the time frame designated within our request, we may temporarily suspend your account. In some instances, we may temporarily suspend your account before requesting edits.
Permanent suspension
If you make insufficient edits to your profile after your first warning, we may permanently suspend your account.