Arc System Works, developer of the Guilty Gear and Blue Wings franchises, recently released official guidelines for fan content created using its intellectual property rights, such as fan art and doujinshi. While most rules are standard for Japanese companies, which show a fairly tolerant attitude toward fan art (even paid content, as long as it’s not overtly commercial), there’s some confusion over the developer’s stance on fan art of a sexual nature. The developer later clarified that this was due to negligence.
This issue arises due to wording differences between the English and Japanese official rules. The English version simply prohibits fans from distributing or displaying sexually explicit content in all-ages areas at official ArcSys-sponsored events, indicating that the company agrees with the creation of sexually explicit fan content as long as it is appropriately age-restricted and tagged accordingly. The rules also prohibit the creation of any content that violates local laws in the author’s country or defames the company’s intellectual property rights, which are also standard terms.
However, in the Japanese version (before the new update), the rules prohibited fans from depicting “excessive sexual content,” which was explained as “adult images such as lewd poses or gestures intended to cause sexual arousal.” While both versions use essentially the same language regarding prohibitions on excessive cruelty and violence, the provisions regarding sexual content are quite different.
On Forum X, Japanese ArcSys fans expressed concern that these differences could lead to misunderstandings or friction between Japanese and foreign fans. Additionally, there is uncertainty as to whether Japan’s regulations should be viewed as effectively prohibiting pornography, or whether the use of the word “excessive” in the terms means that pornography is still acceptable within certain limits.
Many wanted the rules updated and provided more clarity, and Arc System Works has delivered on that request. In an update on August 26, the company said it discovered that some language in the Japanese version of the rules was different than expected and made changes. Now, the wording of the new Japanese version is essentially the same as the original English text (which remains unchanged), meaning there won’t be a blanket ban on pornographic content created by fans using ArcSys intellectual property.
