Content Policy

1. Offensive Content

Storyon supports creative freedom and does not remove Content solely for being offensive, disturbing, or controversial, unless it violates another Storyon policy (such as rules on harassment, hate speech, illegal material, or age-restricted content) or applicable Belgian/EU law. Users may choose what content to view or avoid using Storyon’s filtering and tagging systems.

2. Fanworks and Original Works

Storyon welcomes both fanworks and original creations.

• Works must be original or transformative in nature.
• Uploading a Work that primarily consists of unmodified third-party material (e.g., copied text, unedited transcripts, licensed content, or scans) is not allowed.
• Fanworks may include adaptations, reinterpretations, pastiches, or derivative works that fall within exceptions under EU copyright law (such as quotation, parody, or pastiche).
• Works must be created by the submitting user or uploaded with the express permission of the author.

2.1 Monetisation Restrictions

Fanworks may not be monetised.

Authors may not:

• sell fanworks,
• charge for access,
• solicit donations, payment, or other compensation for fanworks—whether directly on Storyon or through external links.

This restriction is required to comply with EU copyright law and to ensure that fanworks remain strictly non-commercial.

2.2 External Links

External links and bookmarks may only direct to legitimate fanworks or creative materials hosted on third-party sites. Storyon is a platform for creative writing, not for hosting or reposting copyrighted files.

3. Commercial Promotion

Promotion, solicitation, or advertisement of commercial products, services, brands, or for-profit activities is not allowed unless explicitly permitted by Storyon in writing.

4. Copyright Infringement

Users may not upload substantial excerpts from copyrighted works without permission from the rights holder. This includes stories, artwork, poems, song lyrics, transcripts, or other protected materials.

Crediting the original author does not grant the right to upload, translate, adapt, or distribute copyrighted materials.

Short quotations, epigraphs, and content based on existing works (e.g., transformative fanworks) are permitted when compliant with EU copyright exceptions.

5. Plagiarism

Plagiarism—the use of another person’s words or expression of ideas without proper attribution—is prohibited.

Minor edits such as synonym replacement or rephrasing do not make a work original. Using similar themes or ideas is not plagiarism, though citation may be appropriate.

6. Personal Information and Fannish Identities

You may not upload Content that contains accurate, non-public, or identifying personal data about another individual without their explicit consent. This includes:

• revealing the identity of the creator of an “orphaned” fanwork,
• linking a user’s fannish identity (username) to their legal name, workplace, or real-life identity,
• sharing identifying information such as phone numbers, email addresses, residential addresses, workplace details, or other location data,
• disclosing personal data that qualifies as Special Categories of Personal Data under the GDPR (e.g., health data, political views, sexual orientation, religious belief).

Storyon may delete or restrict such content at its discretion to comply with GDPR and Belgian privacy law.

7. Impersonation

You may not impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with them. Fiction clearly marked as fiction is not considered impersonation.

8. Harassment

Harassment includes any behaviour that creates a hostile, intimidating, or abusive environment for its target. Examples include:

• threats, bullying, or stalking,
• targeted personal attacks,
• coordinated harassment campaigns.

Harassment is prohibited on Storyon. When evaluating behaviour, Storyon will consider context, severity, and user intent.

Threatening or targeted content will be treated as harassment; general rudeness or criticism typically will not. Users can block, mute, filter, or report unwanted interactions.

Content advocating real-world harm against individuals or groups is strictly prohibited under Belgian criminal law.

9. User Icons

User icons must be appropriate for general audiences. They may not include:

• explicit sexual imagery or genital display,
• hate symbols or imagery linked to extremist groups,
• violent, threatening, or abusive imagery,
• depictions promoting harm toward individuals or groups.

Storyon may remove such icons or suspend accounts for repeated or serious violations.

10. Illegal and Inappropriate Content

Users may not upload or distribute Content that:

• contains, depicts, or claims to contain sexual or suggestive images of real minors (prohibited under Belgian criminal law),
• contains or links to malware or harmful executable files,
• includes trade secrets, restricted technologies, or classified information,
• attempts to compromise or disrupt Storyon’s platform, systems, or security,
• uses deliberately deceptive filenames or file formats,
• constitutes spam (posting repetitive or near-identical content in one or multiple locations).

Storyon may use automated and manual moderation tools to remove harmful or spam content.

If your content is incorrectly flagged as spam, you may contact Storyon Support for review.

10.1 Reporting Illegal Content

If you encounter content that violates Belgian or EU law—such as illegal child imagery, threats, or data protection violations—report it to Storyon’s Abuse & Support team.

10.2 Copyright Complaints

Copyright complaints must be submitted to Storyon’s designated Copyright Agent and are handled under the Storyon Copyright Policy (DMCA-equivalent process adapted for EU law).

10.3 Enforcement

Violations may result in immediate removal, suspension, or permanent account bans depending on severity.

Effective: November 12, 2025