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--- character_ownership_etiquette [2024/06/24 18:57] – created pallet
+++ character_ownership_etiquette [2026/06/21 04:08] (current) – pallet
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-=====Character Ownership Etiquette=====
+======Character Ownership Etiquette======
-====3.1 Character Creation====
+//Please refer to the Table of Contents to the right for specific links to relevant sections.//
-Starlight Commons only has one established artist who can produce Official [[Stellaborn]] that can be purchased to participate in the Starlight Commons ARPG. All [[Stellaborn]] must be present on the [[https://deviantart.com/Starlight-Commons|Starlight Commons Masterlist]] to be considered an official [[Stellaborn]].
+=====3.1 Character Creation=====
+Starlight Commons only has one established artist, [[https://www.deviantart.com/palleteclipse|PalletEclipse]], who can produce Official [[Stellaborn]] that can be purchased to participate in the Starlight Commons ARPG. All [[Stellaborn]] must be present on the [[https://toyhou.se/StarlightCommons|Starlight Commons Masterlist]] to be considered an official [[Stellaborn]].
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-====3.2 Character Ownership====
+=====3.2 Character Ownership=====
-Starlight Commons does not recognize the co-ownership of characters.
+Starlight Commons does not recognize the co-ownership of characters. Each character belongs solely to one account.
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-====3.3 Character Sale Rules====
+=====3.3 Character Sale Rules=====
-Starlight Commons imposes no sale rules on its users. Users may sell, trade, or gift their [[Stellaborn]] for any value they see fit, so long as they are transferable. A user must be listed as an owner on the masterlist in order to transfer a [[Stellaborn]] to another user.
+Starlight Commons imposes no sale rules on its users. Users may sell, trade, or gift their [[Stellaborn]] or [[Roamkin]] for any value they see fit, so long as they are transferable. To transfer a [[Stellaborn]] or [[Roamkin]], your username must be listed as the owner on the Masterlist.
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-====3.4 Character Disputes====
+=====3.4 Character Duplicates & Design Theft=====
-Starlight Commons does not offer reimbursement for third-party trades. Members are strongly advised against selling items without proper authorization and cautioned against selling non-transferable [[Stellaborn]]. Starlight Commons assumes no responsibility in resolving character disputes, as they must be managed between the current and future owner(s). Starlight Commons does not endorse or enforce terms set between trading parties, though it especially goes for challenging terms or across multiple owners.
+Starlight Commons [SLC] does not approve duplicate, near-duplicate, or copied designs. This rule exists to protect the integrity of the Design Approval system and to prevent design theft, harassment, and scamming.
-If Starlight Commons has noticed a user with multiple complaints, they may receive warnings, strikes, or potentially permanent bans depending on the intent, content, and severity. If there is sufficient evidence of an unfulfilled transaction between members, Starlight Commons will attempt to restore property through warnings, strikes, or permanent bans depending on intent, content, and severity.
+**What this Rule Covers**
+\\ - Submitting a redesign that is identical to, or noticeably similar to, an existing [[Stellaborn]].
+\\ - Repeatedly submitting near-identical designs across multiple Masterlists to bypass rules on transferring, voiding, deleting, or reusing characters.
+\\ - Copying another user's design through tracing, color-picking, heavy imitation, or "recreating" their look with small changes.
+\\ - Stolen designs, including recolors, slight edits, and copy-based redesigns.
-**Sufficient Evidence Requirements:**
+**Enforcement**
-\\ - The reporting user has followed the reporting steps featured at the [[Service Desk]].
+\\ If duplicate or copied designs are found, they may be removed, even if previously approved. This includes designs approved by mistake. Users are expected to design in good faith, and repeated abuse of the Design Approval system may result in a warning, an ARPG strike, or a permanent ban, depending on intent, content, and severity. Starlight Commons [SLC] considers intentional copying, replication, or reuse of another user's design to be harassment.
-\\ - The reporting user has sufficient evidence of the failed transaction.
-\\ - The reporting user has sufficient evidence that they have gone out of their way to resolve the issue themselves.
-**Important:** Starlight Commons can NOT mandate refunds or payment from users or enforce any terms not established in our [[Terms of Service]]. Starlight Commons can only mandate such transactions if they are solely Starlight Commons ARPG items and/or Characters.
+**How to Report Duplicates**
+\\ To report duplicates or copied designs, visit the [[Advanced Support]] counter at the [[Service Desk]] and submit a ticket under **Report Users**.
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+**Example 1 | Masterlist Duplication and Circumvention**
+\\ A user repeatedly submits the same design concept with minor edits across multiple masterlists to create nearly identical versions of the same character. This is considered an attempt to circumvent this rule and **[[Character Ownership Etiquette#3.5 Converting Personal Characters into Stellaborn, Voiding Characters, and Redesigns|Section 3.5 Converting Personal Characters into Stellaborn, Voiding Characters, and Redesigns]]**, which disallows voiding, deleting, or transferring designs between different characters. If the user then sells one of the near-duplicate characters to a new owner, this may be considered scamming under **[[Community Behavior|Section 4: Community Behavior]]**. Multiple copies of the 'same' character create an unfair situation for buyers and undermine the integrity of the Design Approval system, and may be removed once discovered.
-====3.5 The Conversion of Personal Characters into Stellaborn, Voiding, & Redesigns====
+**Example 2 | Color-Picking and 'Accidental' Recreation**
-Starlight Commons does not void or delete characters off of our masterlist for logging purposes. However, we do allow players to convert their [[Stellaborn]] into other other characters, even though we do not recommend it.
+\\ A user takes another [[Stellaborn|Stellaborn's]] design, color-picks the palette, and recreates similar markings, silhouettes, and themes with only small edits. Even if the user changes a few details, the finished redesign still reads as the original character. If this is submitted and approved by mistake, it still undermines the Design Approval system and may be removed once discovered.
-Do not order personal characters as [[Stellaborn]] or convert a [[Stellaborn]] into other species if you intend to sell the forms individually down the line. If you are uncomfortable with a [[Stellaborn]] existing in our system forever, there is nothing we can do once it is made.
+--------
-**Example:** If a user purchases a [[Stellaborn]] custom, converts it into a humanoid or an anthro character, then sells the [[Stellaborn]] but keeps the additional form, it is considered scamming under our [[Terms of Service]]. It is unfair to the new owner to have two versions of the same character, but only own one.
+=====3.5 Converting Personal Characters into Stellaborn, Voiding Characters, and Redesigns=====
+Starlight Commons [SLC] does not void, delete, or transfer Characters from the Masterlist for logging purposes. Players may convert their [[Stellaborn]] into other character types outside of [SLC], but this is not recommended.
-Do NOT sell your design with the understanding the new user will not use it and must hide it. This is unfair to all future owners of the design. Starlight Commons takes no responsibility if new owners choose not to accept the terms established by the seller who did not want a previous design used. Members are welcome to use any approved design associated with that [[Stellaborn]], hidden or not. Starlight Commons considers these kinds of agreements as scamming.
+**Example**
+\\ If a user creates a [[Stellaborn]], converts the design into a humanoid or anthro Character, sells the [[Stellaborn]], but keeps the humanoid or anthro version, this is considered scamming under **[[Community Behavior|Section 4: Community Behavior]]**. Multiple versions of the same Character create an unfair situation for the new owner of the [[Stellaborn]] and undermine the integrity of the Design Approval system.
-Any user who continuously abuses the design approval system to apply new designs to a [[Stellaborn]] to create a new character and sell the [[Stellaborn]] version while still using the character in a new form may receive a warning or permanent ban depending on intent, content, and severity.
+Do not order personal characters as [[Stellaborn]], or convert them into other species, and then only sell the [[Stellaborn]]. If you are uncomfortable with [[Stellaborn]] remaining in our system permanently, there is nothing we can do once they are created. **Consider carefully before making personal characters into [[Stellaborn]].**
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+Starlight Commons [SLC] considers agreements such as "I will sell it if you promise not to use a specific approved design" to be scams. Do not sell a design on the expectation that the new owner will not use it, or that the new owner must hide it in the Approved Design section of the Masterlist. This is unfair to all future owners. Starlight Commons [SLC] is not responsible if prospective buyers choose not to comply with a seller's terms. Users may use any approved design associated with a [[Stellaborn]], whether hidden or visible.
-====3.6 Character Duplicates and Theft====
+Users who repeatedly abuse the Design Approval system by applying looks to [[Stellaborn]], converting them into new characters, and selling the [[Stellaborn]] while continuing to use the same Character in another form may receive warnings, ARPG strikes, or permanent bans depending on intent, content, and severity.
-Starlight Commons never intends to make or approve similar redesigns of existing characters. To report a duplicate, please refer to the [[Service Desk]]. Starlight Commons views the intentional copy of characters as harassment, and members who abuse the design approval system repeatedly may be given a warning or a permanent ban depending on the intent, content, and severity.