# Content Policy # Novus Atlas Content Policy & Community Guidelines **Effective Date:01/01/2026** This Content Policy / Privacy Policy works together with our other governing documents: * Terms of Service:[ \[https://novusatlas.org/terms-of-service.txt\]]() (legal rights, monetization, disputes) * Privacy Policy: [\[https://novusatlas.org/privacy-policy.txt\]]() In case of conflict, the Terms of Service controls for legal matters. ## Introduction These Content Policy and Community Guidelines ("Content Policy") work together with our [Terms of Service]() to govern acceptable use of the Novus Atlas platform. This document explains: * What content you can publish * How to properly tag and categorize your work * Community standards and expectations * How we moderate and enforce these guidelines **By using Novus Atlas, you agree to follow this Content Policy.** Violations may result in content removal, account restrictions, or termination as described in our Terms of Service. For legal terms regarding account creation, licensing, monetization, and liability, please see our [Terms of Service](). --- ### 1\. Content Ownership & Platform Usage #### 1.1 **You Retain Ownership** You retain full ownership of any original content you submit to Novus Atlas. Nothing in this Content Policy transfers ownership to the platform or other users. #### 1.2 **Platform License** By submitting content, you grant Novus Atlas certain limited rights to host and display your work. The specific legal terms of this license are detailed in our Terms of Service, Section 3. #### 1.3 **Your Responsibilities** When you submit content, you represent and warrant that: * You are the author and/or rightful owner, or have obtained all necessary permissions * Your content does not infringe any third party's rights * You have authority to grant the license described in our Terms of Service * You will comply with all tagging and classification requirements below #### **1.4 Platform Philosophy** Novus Atlas supports broad creative freedom and minimizes censorship where reasonably possible while maintaining community safety and legal compliance. Access to publishing and community features is conditioned on compliance with these Terms and our Content Policy. Non-compliance may result in content removal, account restrictions, or termination as described in Section 8. For full legal representations and warranties, see Terms of Service, Section 6. --- ### 2\. Originality & Verification Content submitted to Novus Atlas must be original or properly authorized. For DMCA takedown procedures and copyright dispute resolution, see our Terms of Service, Section 5. #### 2.1 Originality Requirements You retain full ownership of your original Content. Nothing in these Terms transfers ownership to Novus Atlas or other Users. #### 2.2 License to Novus Atlas By submitting Content, you grant NOVA a **non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, revocable license** solely to: * Host, store, cache, and reproduce Content for platform operation * Display and distribute Content within NOVA * Use limited excerpts for discovery, moderation, indexing, or promotion, with attribution where feasible This license **does not** permit: * Ownership claims * Commercial exploitation * Derivative creation * Third-party sublicensing * AI training or dataset creation The license terminates upon Content or Account deletion, except where retention is legally required. #### 2.3 Copyright Infringement & DMCA If you believe content infringes your copyright, or if your content has been infringed, please see our Terms of Service, Section 5 for full DMCA procedures. Quick summary: * **A.** Infringing content will be removed * **B.** Copyright holders can submit DMCA takedown requests * **C.** Report infringement via our report system * **D & E.** Previously granted rights are handled per ToS Section 5.D-E For repeat infringer policies and detailed procedures, see the Terms of Service. --- ### 3\. Collaborative Projects & Shared Rights Authors may select a license governing how other Users may create derivative works. These licenses apply **only between Users** and do not expand NOVA’s rights. Unless stated otherwise, all permissions are non-exclusive and revocable, subject to reliance interests. #### 3.1 Project Rights For original collaborative projects with multiple authors, rights are shared equally by default: Default Rights Distribution: * Right to reproduce (copy) * Right to distribute * Right to perform or adapt (e.g., make a film or audiobook) * Right to display publicly When a Collaborator Leaves: * They retain rights to portions created before departure * They lose rights to future additions unless "Prenup" (collaboration agreement) specifies otherwise * Existing published work continues under original license Collaboration Agreements ("Prenups"): * Authors may establish formal agreements before collaboration * Should specify: ownership splits, departure procedures, monetization distribution, canon authority * Must be documented in writing and acknowledged by all parties * NOVA does not arbitrate collaboration disputes but may enforce documented agreements For legal enforceability details, see Terms of Service Section 4.5. --- ### 4\. Fanfiction & Attribution #### 4.1 Fanfiction Fanfiction must be properly tagged and attributed unless: * Elements are generic or public domain * You have explicit IP-holder permission Fanfiction may not include donation links, premium chapters, or internal advertising without permission and platform eligibility. #### 4.2 **Content Licensing** Authors can control how their works are used by others through our licensing system. See Terms of Service, Section 3 for the six licensing tiers and what each permits. --- ### 5\. Tagging, Language, and Metadata Requirements #### 5.1 **Required Tagging** You are required to include a Content Warning and identify whether Your Content contains Profanity, Sexual Content, Disturbing Content, or Graphic Violence. You must tag not only the story, but the precise chapter where Sexual or Violent Encounters occur. #### 5.2 **Languages** All languages are accepted. To cater to non-omnilingual readers, all works of fiction and non-fiction must be tagged with the dominant language they are written in. #### 5.3 **Reviews** Reviews for stories can only be written in English or the language of the novel. #### 5.4 **Unusual Content** Content that uses deliberately obfuscated, unreadable, or non-standard syntax as the dominant writing style may be subject to restrictions: Examples include: * Programming languages or code as narrative medium (e.g., Malbolge, Brainfuck) * Deliberately scrambled or encoded text * Works designed to be machine-readable rather than human-readable Enforcement: * First violation: Content flagged and hidden from public discovery * Creator notified and may appeal or modify work * Repeated violations: Content removal Exemptions: * Experimental formatting used artistically (e.g., visual poetry, unconventional structure) * Foreign language scripts or constructed languages (e.g., Elvish, Klingon) * Works that are human-readable with effort This policy exists to maintain platform usability and prevent spam/abuse, not to restrict creative expression. --- ### 6\. Mature Content Rating and Tagging Novus Atlas requires the following tags for Content, as applicable. Failure to tag Content accurately may result in removal or disciplinary action. #### **For content below R-rated:** * **Profanity:** Use when a fiction contains swearing or vulgarities with moderate or high frequency, or particularly offensive profanities even at low frequency. * **Sensual Content:** Use for non-descriptive sexual encounters, displays of affection, and sensuality that is not explicit. * **Disturbing Content:** Mentions of torture, incest, bestiality, slavery, substance abuse, mental illness, addiction, stalking, rape, self-harm, or other traumatizing or mature content that does not fall under other tags. You may not glorify such content. * **Religious Mentions:** Use when drawing on extant, non-fictional religions, religious sites, canonical figures, or associated arts. * **Real-Life Figures:** Usage of real-life figures past the 1900s in semi-lore or lore-relevant roles requires tagging; if the figure contacts Novus Atlas, they may request takedown. Depiction Requirements: * Use of real-life figures from 1900 onward in semi-lore or lore-relevant fictional roles requires tagging * Purely historical/factual biographical content does not require this tag * Fictionalized or speculative content involving real people does require this tag Takedown Rights: * Living individuals depicted in fictional content may request takedown by contacting NOVA * Requests must come from the individual themselves or verified legal representation * NOVA will review requests within 14 business days * Creators will be notified and may provide context/appeal * Deceased individuals' estates may request takedown for works published less than 10 years after death Exemptions (No Takedown Rights): * Public officials acting in their official capacity * Historical figures (deceased 10+ years) * Purely factual, non-fictional biographical content * Satire, parody, or commentary protected under fair use Creators may appeal takedown decisions through the standard appeals process. * **Non-Escapist:** Works regarding current events (terroristic acts, national protests, wars, epidemics, etc.) must be tagged. ### 7\. Artwork Users must hold rights or licenses for all uploaded artwork. Artwork must: * Accurately reflect the associated Content * Match the Content’s rating * Avoid deceptive or clickbait representations --- ### 8\. Community Code of Conduct Novus Atlas tolerates a level of mature content to allow creative freedom, but maintains the following community standards which apply to all users: Harassment, discrimination, abuse, threats, doxxing, intimidation, or safety violations are strictly prohibited. Violations may result in immediate enforcement regardless of intent or claimed justification. **Enforcement:** Violations of this Code of Conduct may result in content removal, warnings, temporary suspensions, or permanent account termination per our Terms of Service, Section 8. --- ### 9\. AI-Generated & AI-Assisted Content Authors must tag their AI-Assisted or AI-Generated content with the appropriate tag. * AI-Assisted: The author has used an AI tool for editing or proofreading. The story thus reflects the author’s creativity and structure, but it may use the AI’s voice and tone. There may be some negligible amount of snippets generated by AI. * AI-Generated: The story was generated using an AI tool; the author prompted and directed the process, and edited the result. * AI-Translated: The AI has translated the story without the involvement of any humans knowledgeable in the original language. --- ### 10\. Moderation & Content Review #### 10.1 **Content Review Process** Content submitted to Novus Atlas is checked for compliance with these guidelines. Content found to violate these guidelines may be: * Removed or restricted * Tagged or categorized by moderators * Demoted in rankings * Subject to forced discontinuation (see Section 2 for stolen content procedures) #### 10.2 **Enforcement Actions** Depending on the severity and frequency of violations, enforcement may include: * Content warnings or flags * Content removal or editing * Temporary account restrictions * Permanent account suspension or termination #### 10.3 **Appeals** If you believe enforcement action was taken in error, you may appeal. See our Terms of Service, Section 8 for the full appeals process and your rights. For detailed enforcement authority, account termination procedures, and legal remedies, see the Terms of Service. #### **10.4 Graduated Enforcement Framework** NOVA uses a graduated enforcement approach for most violations: Minor Violations (improper tagging, missing metadata): * 1st: Warning and required correction * 2nd: Content hidden until corrected * 3rd: Temporary account restriction (7 days) Moderate Violations (license violations, attribution failures): * 1st: Content removal and warning * 2nd: Temporary suspension (14 days) * 3rd: Permanent content privileges restriction Severe Violations (harassment, illegal content, fraud): * Immediate content removal * Account suspension or termination * No warning required Pattern Violations (5+ violations in 90 days regardless of type): * Account review * Escalated enforcement regardless of individual severity Note: NOVA reserves the right to skip steps for particularly egregious violations or clear bad faith. See Terms of Service Section 8 for complete enforcement procedures and appeal rights. --- ### 11\. Changes to This Content Policy Novus Atlas may update this Content Policy at any time to reflect community needs, platform changes, or legal requirements. When we make changes: * We'll post the updated policy with a new "Last Updated" date * Material changes will be announced via platform notification * Your continued use of the platform constitutes acceptance of the updated policy For changes to legal terms (account requirements, licensing, monetization, liability), those will be handled through updates to our Terms of Service with appropriate notice. --- ### 12\. Common Terms Defined: "Glorification" - Content that portrays illegal, abusive, or harmful acts as admirable, desirable, or without negative consequence while lacking narrative distance, critique, or meaningful consequences. See ToS Section 8.7 for complete definition and examples. "Mature Content" - Content rated R or above containing explicit sexual content, graphic violence, or disturbing themes requiring age verification. "Attribution" - Clear identification of original author and source work, including title and author name, placed prominently in derivative work description. "Canon" - Material officially recognized as part of a work's authoritative narrative continuity. "Derivative Work" - New creative work based on, inspired by, or incorporating elements from a pre-existing work. --- ### 13\. Questions & Reporting **Questions about this Content Policy?** Contact us at community@novusatlas.org **DMCA or legal notices:** See our Terms of Service for proper contact procedures **Review our Terms of Service at:**[ Here]() --- *This Content Policy is incorporated by reference into the Novus Atlas Terms of Service and together they form the complete agreement governing your use of the platform.*