Genshin Impact dev miHoYo allows fans to make money on fan-made merchandise
The likes of keyrings, fan art, and accessories are all okay in miHoYo’s eyes - with a few conditions
Genshin Impact fans are allowed to create and sell fan-made merchandise - within reason - according to the game’s developer miHoYo.
The developer has recently updated its 'Overseas Fan-Made Merchandising Guide' so that it now allows fans to create merchandise without fear of copyright infringement, however, there are a few caveats to this.
The likes of keychains, fan-art, fan-novels, and more based on Genshin Impact are all allowed to be produced and sold so long as they don’t exceed the 500 units allowance - for individuals - and 200 units - for a group. All products must also not violate the creator’s country’s laws or register the products as a trademark.
However, if you want to create the likes of figures, plush, or capsule toys for selling purposes, authorization from miHoYo must be requested - regardless of how many you plan to make. According to the guide, fans must send a request form to the studio’s designated email address which is apparently checked regularly and responded to as soon as possible.
That isn’t to say that those planning to make a quick buck on Genshin Impact’s popularity will now be able to freely though, the guidelines also state that copies of official merchandise are "strictly prohibited." This includes: "direct use, retouching, or partial modifications of official source material" as well as "commercial practices of selling products under the guise of the official name."
Although it may seem like a small deal to those who are not part of the fan-made merchandise scene, this is incredibly great news to those who like to sell their fan art at the likes of fan conventions and on Etsy stores.
miHoYo clearly appreciates fan’s enthusiasm for the game too as the end of the guide reads: "The Genshin Impact project team hopes to do its best to support our passionate players and their works, to encourage our players to maintain their enthusiasm, create more quality content, and promote a positive exchange of Genshin Impact fan-made culture."
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After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training. My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.