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To use a video game character in a commercial project, identify every right and asset involved, find the party that controls each one, and obtain written permission through an official licensing or legal channel before you publish, sell, advertise, or distribute anything. Describe the project, platforms, countries, duration, business model, promotional use, and any changes you want to make. A gameplay, streaming, or fan-content policy is not automatically a license to put the character in a separate game, film, advertisement, product, or other commercial work.

The character may be only one part of the clearance. A name or trademark, visual design, dialogue, music, screenshots, recorded footage, logos, and contributions from outside studios can have different owners. Your agreement must cover the exact materials and uses you intend, rather than a general promise that you may use the game.

What permission actually covers

“Permission to use a character” is not a single universal right. The legal and contractual permissions can include copyright in the character’s visual expression, trademarks in the character’s name or logo, rights in game footage and screenshots, rights in dialogue and voice performances, music rights, publicity or personality rights, and contractual restrictions imposed by a publisher or platform. The controlling parties may differ for each element.

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Start with the concrete use, not with a general question such as “Can I use this character?” A publisher might allow a creator to upload or monetize gameplay under a published policy while refusing incorporation of the same character into a commercial product. A platform catalog might offer a license for creations made on that platform but not for an independent game or an advertisement outside it.

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WIPO’s 2014 Comparative Analysis on Copyright of Video Games explains that video-game rights can be limited by scope, time, or geographic area. The 2025 WIPO listing on The Legal Status of Video Games also discusses the many contributors involved in game production. Those limits are why a written grant must identify the work, the territory, and the term instead of relying on an informal understanding.

Define the proposed project before contacting anyone

A rights holder cannot evaluate an incomplete request. Prepare a one-page description that answers the following questions:

  • What is the project: a standalone game, downloadable content, film, animation, book, advertisement, educational experience, event, stream, or another format?
  • How will the character appear: as a playable or non-playable character, a logo, a still image, a costume, a reference, a voice, a clip, or an adapted design?
  • Will customers or users pay, and will you earn money through sales, subscriptions, advertising, sponsorship, in-app purchases, donations, licensing, or another model?
  • Where will the work be distributed: particular stores, websites, consoles, mobile platforms, social networks, broadcast channels, physical retail, or live venues?
  • Which countries or regions are planned, and will the project be available worldwide?
  • When will the first release, campaign, or public demonstration occur, and how long should the permission last?
  • How will the character be promoted in trailers, store listings, press materials, social posts, packaging, events, or paid advertising?
  • What changes do you want to make to the character, name, costume, story, dialogue, or setting?
  • Will users be able to create derivative content, or will contractors, publishers, sponsors, or other partners use the licensed material?

Include an audience description and a realistic launch schedule. If the project is still exploratory, say so, but distinguish a confidential pitch from a request to publish. A rights holder may require a concept deck, script, prototype, budget, distribution plan, brand-safety information, or samples before reviewing the proposal.

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Inventory every asset you plan to use

Create an asset list before searching for a contact. Record the exact source for each item and whether you created, commissioned, licensed, or copied it. At minimum, check:

  • The character’s name, aliases, catchphrases, and distinctive symbols.
  • The visual design, model, sprites, costumes, poses, artwork, and animations.
  • Logos, word marks, emblems, title treatments, and packaging imagery.
  • Game footage, screenshots, cut-scenes, menus, maps, user-interface elements, and promotional trailers.
  • Dialogue, scripts, voice performances, sound effects, songs, and background music.
  • Story elements, locations, fictional organizations, weapons, vehicles, and other distinctive content that you intend to reproduce.
  • Third-party material visible or audible in the source game, including licensed music, guest characters, branded products, or outside performers.

Keep a spreadsheet with the asset description, source game and edition, creator or supplier, intended use, and clearance status. This prevents a license for the principal character from being mistaken for permission to use a soundtrack or a guest character controlled by someone else.

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Find the correct rights holder

Begin with the game publisher or developer’s official intellectual-property, licensing, legal, brand-usage, or creator-policy pages. Look for a named licensing department, inquiry form, or authorized representative. If the page does not identify a licensing route, contact the company through its official legal or support channel and ask to be directed to the person authorized to evaluate commercial character requests. Some companies do not accept unsolicited proposals; respect that instruction.

Ownership can be divided among a publisher, developer, character creator, studio, music owner, performer, trademark owner, platform, or another contributor. A publisher policy may cover only intellectual property that the publisher owns or controls. Bandai Namco’s video policy, for example, warns that third-party character or music material may require separate permission. SEGA’s streaming guidelines likewise state: “If Gameplay Videos include intellectual property owned by third parties other than SEGA (including characters, music, etc.), then users must obtain permission from all appropriate rights holders.”

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Do not infer ownership from the game’s title screen, the company that sells the game, or the fact that one company publishes a particular edition. Ask the proposed licensor to identify exclusions and any additional parties whose approval is required. If the character originated in a comic, film, toy line, or earlier game, that history may matter to the rights chain.

Compare the permission routes

Route What the official material shows Questions to compare
Rights-holder licensing inquiry Bungie says creators seeking profit from Bungie assets must seek permission and obtain a license; its policy directs prospective official merchandise licensees to an email inquiry. Electronic Arts identifies a route for special-use inquiries while stating that its content policy does not permit commercial use of its game content. Whether your project type is eligible, whether unsolicited proposals are accepted, what materials are required, which territories and media are covered, and whether the inquiry concerns a license or only a policy exception.
Platform license catalog Roblox lets creators inspect an offered intellectual-property license, review its terms and standards, submit a request and pitch, and wait for the rights holder’s review. Offered licenses can include content standards and revenue-share requirements. Whether the specific property is listed, what creation types and platforms are allowed, how monetization works, what standards apply, the revenue share, and whether use outside the platform is excluded.
Publisher content or streaming policy SEGA and Bandai Namco publish guidelines for specified gameplay-video activity and warn that third-party material may require separate permission. These policies define their own scope; they are not general commercial-character licenses. Whether the proposed activity is actually gameplay video, whether commercial activity is limited, which third-party assets appear, which territories apply, and whether a separate authorization is required.

These routes are not interchangeable. A streaming allowance or platform license may not grant rights for a feature film, advertisement, consumer product, standalone game, physical event, or commercial use on another service.

Follow a permission workflow

  1. Write the use case. State the project, character, audience, business model, promotional plan, platforms, countries, term, launch timing, and requested modifications.
  2. Complete the asset inventory. List names, likenesses, logos, footage, dialogue, music, and other distinctive material. Note where each item comes from and whether it includes third-party content.
  3. Read the official policy for the exact property. Check the publisher or developer’s current licensing, legal, brand, creator, and streaming pages. A policy for one game or activity does not establish a rule for another.
  4. Locate an authorized contact. Use the official licensing form, legal department, or representative. If the company does not control all components, ask for referrals to the relevant owners.
  5. Check an existing program. If the intended work is on a platform with a formal catalog, inspect the listed license, eligibility rules, content standards, monetization terms, and geographic or platform limits. Roblox’s catalog is an example of this request-and-review model, not a universal route.
  6. Send a concise request or pitch. Attach the project summary, concept art or prototype where appropriate, asset list, audience, distribution plan, promotional uses, requested term and territory, and target launch date. Ask who will review it and whether more information is needed.
  7. Clarify the commercial model. State every revenue source, including advertising, sponsorship, subscriptions, in-app purchases, merchandise, crowdfunding, donations, and platform revenue sharing. Do not describe a project as noncommercial if it will later be monetized or used to promote a paid service.
  8. Negotiate the grant in writing. Obtain a signed agreement or an official written license that identifies the approved assets, uses, media, platforms, territories, term, approvals, compensation, attribution, and termination rights.
  9. Clear excluded materials. Secure separate permissions for any music, guest character, performer, footage, or other component the principal licensor does not control.
  10. Archive and monitor. Keep the executed agreement, approvals, correspondence, final assets, and version history. Recheck the relevant policy before launch because published policies and available licenses can change.

What to request in the written license

Ask the rights holder to state the following points explicitly. The list is a negotiation checklist, not a guarantee that every licensor will offer each term.

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Term Why it matters
Licensed property and assets Names the exact character, designs, logos, footage, audio, text, and versions you may use, and identifies exclusions.
Approved uses and media Distinguishes a game, video, advertisement, product, event, social post, trailer, or other format. A grant for one medium should not be assumed to cover another.
Platforms and distribution Specifies stores, websites, consoles, mobile systems, social services, broadcast outlets, physical products, or live venues.
Territory Defines the countries or regions in which the work may be released, promoted, or sold.
Term and launch window Sets the start and end dates, renewal process, and any deadline for first publication.
Commercial model and compensation States a fixed fee, royalties, revenue share, minimum guarantee, advertising restrictions, reporting duties, or other payment conditions. Do not assume a standard fee or percentage exists.
Modification and derivative rights Explains whether you may alter clothing, dialogue, appearance, story, animation, language, or context, and whether user-generated variations are allowed.
Approval process Identifies which drafts, builds, advertisements, packaging, and marketing materials require review, who approves them, and how revisions are handled.
Credit and trademark notices Sets required copyright, trademark, attribution, or ownership notices and their placement.
Exclusivity and conflicts States whether either party is restricted from licensing or using similar characters, categories, territories, or platforms.
Termination, takedown, and sell-off Explains what happens after breach, expiration, withdrawal, or policy change, including removal deadlines and treatment of already manufactured or downloaded copies.

Read definitions and schedules as carefully as the headline grant. A clause that permits use only in a particular platform, country, language, or edition can be narrower than the project plan. Have qualified counsel review the agreement when the project has significant revenue, multiple territories, investor obligations, or a complicated chain of contributors.

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Commercial use requires separate scrutiny

Bungie’s official policy states: “In the event that creators seek to profit from the use of Bungie assets, they must seek permission from Bungie and obtain a license to do so.” That statement is specific to Bungie assets and does not establish a universal fee, approval rate, or process for other companies.

Electronic Arts’ content policy says not to use its game content for commercial purposes and provides a route for special-use inquiries. A special-use inquiry is not the same as an automatic approval. Explain the commercial purpose and wait for a written response that covers the exact activity.

YouTube’s guidance on video-game and software content says monetization depends on commercial-use rights granted by publisher licenses. Turning on platform monetization therefore does not create rights in the character. Permission to upload, stream, or monetize gameplay should not be treated as permission to incorporate that character into a separate product, advertisement, or campaign.

Gameplay, fan, and platform policies have narrow boundaries

Content policies often exist to support gameplay videos, streams, screenshots, or community creations under stated conditions. They may limit advertising, require attribution, exclude third-party music, prohibit misleading endorsements, or cover only intellectual property controlled by the publisher. Read the definitions and exceptions rather than relying on a headline such as “fan content allowed.”

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Roblox’s Creator Hub gives a concrete example of a formal platform licensing process. Its documentation says creators can review a license in the catalog, submit a request and pitch, and follow the rights holder’s terms, content standards, and revenue-share requirements. It also warns: “Publishing content on Roblox that uses someone else’s IP rights without permission violates the Roblox Terms of Use and might result in the removal of the content and your Roblox account.” The catalog process applies to the listed property and the stated Roblox use; it is not a general license for an off-platform commercial project.

SEGA’s streaming guidelines were updated on March 19, 2026, with the guidelines last updated March 12, 2026, according to the published source information. They address streaming activity and third-party intellectual property. Bandai Namco’s video policy similarly applies to intellectual property it holds or controls and cautions that third-party content may need separate clearance. Check the current text at the time of release rather than relying on an archived summary.

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Clear third-party music, footage, and performances

A character license may leave other elements untouched. Music is frequently licensed from a composer, label, publisher, or collecting society. Voice performances can involve performer agreements. A cut-scene may include work by an outside studio. A guest character may belong to another publisher. A trademark visible on an in-game object may be owned by an unrelated company.

Ask the principal rights holder to mark each item as included, excluded, or subject to another approval. If the licensor cannot grant the right, remove the material, replace it with original work, or obtain a separate license. Keep evidence of every clearance and make sure the approved version matches the final build and marketing files.

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Fair use and similar exceptions are not a guaranteed shortcut

Some jurisdictions recognize fair use or comparable exceptions for criticism, commentary, parody, quotation, education, or other limited purposes. Electronic Arts’ policy acknowledges that certain uses may be permissible under applicable fair-use or similar laws, but that statement does not decide whether a particular commercial character use qualifies. The outcome depends on the jurisdiction, purpose, amount and nature of the material, market effect, and other facts.

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Do not label a project “fair use” merely because it is transformative, inexpensive, nonexclusive, or made by a fan. If the project uses the character to sell a product, attract customers, endorse a service, or supply a central entertainment feature, obtain legal advice before relying on an exception. An exception to copyright may not resolve trademark, publicity, contract, or platform-policy issues.

Common mistakes and how to correct them

  • Assuming purchase equals permission. Buying a game gives you access to the copy you bought; it does not grant the right to reproduce its character in a new commercial work. Correct this by seeking a written license.
  • Using a fan policy as a commercial license. A policy may permit videos under conditions but exclude products, advertisements, or standalone games. Match the proposed use to the policy’s defined scope.
  • Contacting the wrong company. A publisher may not control music, a guest character, or a performer’s rights. Ask for the complete ownership chain and separate clearances.
  • Requesting vague permission. “Can I use the character?” does not identify media, territory, term, edits, or monetization. Send a specific project brief.
  • Relying on silence or informal approval. A social-media reply, convention conversation, or lack of objection is not a dependable grant. Wait for an authorized written agreement.
  • Launching before approvals finish. A licensor may require review of builds, packaging, trailers, or advertisements. Schedule those approvals before public release.
  • Ignoring policy changes. Creator and platform rules can change. Recheck them before launch and preserve the version that governed your agreement.
  • Promising an approval date or price. Official materials do not establish a universal turnaround, fee, approval probability, or revenue-share percentage. Ask the rights holder rather than budgeting from a guess.

If the request is denied or receives no response

Do not publish while waiting. Send one concise follow-up through the same official route if the published process permits follow-ups, then treat the absence of an authorized grant as a no for the planned use. Remove the character, redesign it so it is not derived from the protected expression, replace the asset with original material, or postpone the project. Do not assume that changing the name, colors, or costume eliminates all rights issues.

If the project is commercially important, consult intellectual-property counsel in the relevant countries. Counsel can help map ownership, evaluate possible exceptions, negotiate terms, and revise the project without relying on an unsupported assumption. A rights-clearance specialist may also be useful when many contributors or territories are involved, but no intermediary can guarantee that a rights holder will license the property.

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Pre-launch clearance checklist

  • The exact character, game edition, and all proposed assets are listed.
  • The publisher, developer, trademark owner, music owner, performer, and other contributors have been identified where relevant.
  • The official policy and licensing route for the specific property have been checked.
  • The request states project format, audience, monetization, platforms, territories, term, promotion, modifications, and launch date.
  • A signed license or other authorized written grant covers the final uses.
  • Third-party music, footage, dialogue, logos, and guest characters have separate clearance or have been removed.
  • Required credits, notices, approvals, content standards, and reporting duties are built into production.
  • Termination, takedown, expiration, and policy-change obligations are understood.
  • The executed agreement and approval correspondence are stored with the final asset versions.

The safest rule is simple: treat every commercial appearance of a game character as a rights-clearance project. Identify the complete use, contact the authorized rights holders, and obtain a written grant whose boundaries match what you will actually release and promote.

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