Does anyone know ZUN's policies regarding derivative works?

[lonemaestro]

I'm sure they exist. And since they do, it's something everyone here should know. (Taking into account the crackdown on Touhou-related anime and the likes.) Thanks.

[bennelsey]

I can't seem to find the post that actually lists them down, but here's two off the top of my head since they're directly related to fan games

1. do not use media (images, sounds) from official works
2. you are only allowed to sell Touhou derivative works through doujin-only channels and doujin conventions

[EthanSilver]

This may be a little dated (a year or so) but if his guidelines have changed, it's probably not by much.

Edit: Also found this.

[Tengukami]

Edit: Also found this.

Oh man that thread ... I'm wincing at some of my posts there.

[cuc]

That ANN article was not updated when ZUN revised the rules a few days later.

Initially, ZUN banned making Touhou animation for profit (with the qualifier "traditional animation", excluding 3D CG and such), which would harm many doujin creators - there was a doujin event devoted to Touhou fan animations, with this ban, they effectively must cease activity. After a few days, he changed the rule into banning "relying on corporation to create animation".

That's why doujin like Fantasy Kaleidoscope can still be made: it's quite obviously animated by pro animators, but as long as they don't use the identities of their companies, they are not violating this rule.

[lonemaestro]

To ban ALL original media in derivative works, that would deprive fan-made works of any Touhou quality... I understand that it's wrong to take and use something that is the property of others but isn't that what disclaimers are for? Ah, I'm probably beating a dead horse now.

Though, I do find it reassuring that ZUN would like to hear from those who wish to make commercial works. (Hey, at least he would know you exist!)

[Imosa]

Shouldn't these rules be in a stickie, somewhere? Maybe here. Seems like they should be pretty important.

[Torashama]

A question, that means I'll have trouble doing the project (http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,13036.0.html) because it is a "modification" of the original game "Mountain of Faith" (but I will not sell it or anything)
sorry if it isn't the right place to ask ^^;

[cuc]

>Torashama

You are not making it for profit, and your project still requires MoF to run. It counts as a modification, not unlike other fan patches and tools that have been made for Touhou games. There shouldn't be any problem.

[bennelsey]

To ban ALL original media in derivative works, that would deprive fan-made works of any Touhou quality... I understand that it's wrong to take and use something that is the property of others but isn't that what disclaimers are for?

original media meant the sprites (images), and sounds (music and sound effects) from the Touhou official games

this means you can't copy-paste stuff zun made for his games into your own game
this also means you can freely create your own stuff based from his (like remixes of zun's music, or fanart of his characters)
*he just hates direct copies, you can make your own from scratch

not all touhou fan games are top-down scrolling danmaku shooters, but even games of that type usually employ remakes of zun's original media

zun can't actually enforce the rule, but breaking it is generally frowned upon by both zun and the fanbase - so if you're making a game to please the fanbase, you'll need to come up with original / slightly original media

[Helepolis]

Shouldn't these rules be in a stickie, somewhere? Maybe here. Seems like they should be pretty important.

Sounds like a plan. I'll try to archive and list the given links so they can be looked up by users. I'll then post them in the FAQ and introduction post in the stickies.

--Helepolis

[Danmakuer]

2. you are only allowed to sell Touhou derivative works through doujin-only channels and doujin conventions

Does selling any Toohoo fan games on the internet not breaking this rule?

[Imosa]

Internet is a little general. To consider the entire internet as a channel of distribution is a little inaccurate. We'd need a definition of channel to be sure. Essentially if you distribute over your own website, that's cool, if you distribute from some website that hosts doujin games (I know none), that's cool too. If you try and get your game onto Steam, that's not cool.
Mediafire might be an interesting issue because I think some of the users of that aren't considered doujin.

[Arknarok]

Does selling any Toohoo fan games on the internet not breaking this rule?

Selling physical copies - OK.

Selling digital copies - Not OK. You need to contact ZUN and get his approval in this case.

For instance, Touhou Unreal Mahjong, being mainly an online game, still requires users to buy physical copies, even though the only thing they technically need is CD-key, which could have been sold digitally. But that goes against guidelines.

[Imosa]

Selling physical copies - OK.

Selling digital copies - Not OK. You need to contact ZUN and get his approval in this case.

For instance, Touhou Unreal Mahjong, being mainly an online game, still requires users to buy physical copies, even though the only thing they technically need is CD-key, which could have been sold digitally. But that goes against guidelines.

Really? Why?

[Tengukami]

Really? Why?

http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,8468.0.html

[Imosa]

http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,8468.0.html

Maybe I didn't read enough (about half way through page 2 and page 4) but I have to go with helvetica almost all the way. WTF ZUN? Am I missing something?

[cuc]

Hey, I've at last dug out a translation of his 2008 policy post.

http://web.archive.org/web/20100325183725/http://zepy.momotato.com/2008/12/15/zun-on-touhou-and-derivative-works/

EDIT:
I don't have time to write a full post now, but here're links to a bunch of articles to read and think about, on the topic of the doujinshi world. Protecting this world is one of the main motives behind ZUN's policies. We don't have to agree with his opinions about these policies (I don't), but he must have put a lot of thought into them.
http://web.archive.org/web/20090125143304/http://www.omonomono.com/2009/01/20/nearly-all-i-know-about-doujinshi-and-some-related-nonsense-or-just-read-canned-dogs/

[Imosa]

Hey, I've at last dug out a translation of his 2008 policy post.

http://web.archive.org/web/20100325183725/http://zepy.momotato.com/2008/12/15/zun-on-touhou-and-derivative-works/

EDIT:
I don't have time to write a full post now, but here're links to a bunch of articles to read and think about, on the topic of the doujinshi world. Protecting this world is one of the main motives behind ZUN's policies. We don't have to agree with his opinions about these policies (I don't), but he must have put a lot of thought into them.
http://web.archive.org/web/20090125143304/http://www.omonomono.com/2009/01/20/nearly-all-i-know-about-doujinshi-and-some-related-nonsense-or-just-read-canned-dogs/

I guess I can't comment on whether doujin culture would be affected by allowing digital distribution but I don't think I see it in a way that it would.