PubWiki Terms of Service

Version: 1.4

Effective date: November 2, 2026

1. Operator, scope and acceptance

The Services are provided by pubwiki, Inc., an entity organized under the laws of Delaware, United States ("PubWiki," "we," "us"). Our contact email is mail@pub.wiki.

These Terms apply to PubWiki websites and related services that expressly link to these Terms, including community and content browsing services (Hub), work creation and editing tools (Studio), services for running and playing works (Player) and application programming interfaces (APIs) (collectively, the "Services"). Other brands and third-party websites are not automatically covered merely because they use the same technology.

These Terms form an agreement when you affirmatively accept them during registration or another process that clearly presents them. If you act for an organization, you must have authority to bind it. Our Privacy Policy explains our handling of personal data; accepting these Terms does not replace any specific data-processing consent required by law.

2. Eligibility

To register for or use the Services, you must be at least 13 years old and meet any higher minimum age for use required by applicable law where you live. The Services are not directed to anyone below that minimum age.

If you meet the minimum age for use but have not reached the legal age of majority where you live, your parent or legal guardian must review these Terms with you and agree to them on your behalf. Parental or guardian permission does not make anyone below the minimum age eligible to use the Services.

3. Services and accounts

PubWiki supports creating, editing, publishing, playing and remixing interactive works, as well as articles, posts, communities, AI-assisted generation and related features. Available features, models and payment methods are those offered in the interface.

Provide accurate registration information, protect your account credentials and promptly report unauthorized use. This section does not exclude liability we bear under applicable law for our own fault.

4. Your rights and the platform license

You retain rights in submitted text, code, images, audio, world settings and other content to the extent you own or are authorized to exercise those rights. Uploading content does not transfer ownership to PubWiki. You must have the rights needed to provide it and grant this license. New Creative Expression in novel branches assigned to the Original Rightsholder under Section 7 is subject to that section’s specific provisions.

You grant us a nonexclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to store, back up, transmit, reproduce, format and display your content, and otherwise process it as needed to provide editing, execution, generation, sharing and publication at your direction. We may sublicense only the necessary rights to providers helping us perform those purposes. This clause does not authorize public promotion using private content.

The license lasts only as reasonably needed to provide the relevant Services and process deletion, subject to the Privacy Policy, other valid licenses and legal retention requirements. This license does not itself authorize us or our providers to train general-purpose AI models on private content. Any such use requires separate, clear disclosure and any necessary permission or consent.

5. Publication, privacy and copies

Public content may be accessed, quoted or saved by other users, search engines or third parties. An anonymous display option does not mean that the account is unidentifiable to the platform.

Unpublishing or deleting original content may not remove independently retained third-party copies or terminate licenses validly granted earlier. We remain responsible for handling data under our control under the Privacy Policy and applicable law; this clause does not authorize indefinite retention of personal data.

6. Original submissions and permission to create branches

6.1 Definitions

An Original Work is the initial work on which a chain of novel branches is based; additional branch levels do not change that original. The Original Rightsholder is the person who lawfully holds the relevant economic copyright in the Original Work and may grant the permissions in this section. Uploading a work or holding an account does not itself establish ownership. An author submitting or granting permission on behalf of another rightsholder must have the necessary authority.

A Branch Work is a continuation, rewrite or other derivative novel content created by a user in PubWiki based on an Original Work or an existing branch, including further branches derived from branches. New Creative Expression means specific expression newly created by the branch creator relative to the Original Work and existing branches on which it is based. It excludes existing expression in those works, third-party material and ideas, facts or other material not protected by copyright.

Public Disclosure means making content available to the public, including publishing, displaying or communicating it on PubWiki, another website, an application or another public channel. Disclosure depends on actual availability, not the public or private label in PubWiki. Creating and saving content privately without making it available to the public is not Public Disclosure. Economic Copyright means economic rights under copyright that may lawfully be assigned, excluding moral rights, such as attribution, that cannot lawfully be assigned.

6.2 Original copyright and the branch license

Authors retain copyright in their Original Works. Submission, publication or enabling branches does not assign that copyright to PubWiki or readers; the platform license in Section 4 still applies. Authors must have authority to submit the work and authorize its use under this section and may not dispose of others' rights.

When an author submits an Original Work and enables branches, the author grants readers, to the extent authorized, a nonexclusive, royalty-free license to use PubWiki's features to read and reproduce necessary original content, create continuations, rewrites and other branches, and save, read, publish and update those branches within PubWiki. When a branch is open to further branching, other readers may create further branches under the same rules. This license also covers New Creative Expression assigned to the author under Section 7 so that branch creators and subsequent readers may continue using branches under this section.

Users must retain attribution, provenance and applicable license notices. Section 8's provisions on the continuing license for existing lawful remixes, third-party material and restrictions on off-platform and commercial use also apply to novel branches. This functional license does not automatically authorize off-platform publication, independent commercial exploitation or extraction of third-party material; other valid permissions and uses allowed by applicable law remain unaffected.

6.3 Acceptance of economic rights in disclosed branches

By accepting these Terms as the Original Rightsholder, submitting a work and enabling branches, the author agrees to accept the economic rights assigned directly to that rightsholder by branch creators under Section 7. Anyone acting for a rightsholder must be authorized to accept on their behalf. The assignee is the Original Rightsholder; PubWiki does not become the assignee by providing the Services. An intermediate branch creator does not become the assignee of later New Creative Expression merely because later branches are based on that creator's branch.

7. Novel branch creation and ownership of rights

7.1 Private creation and non-assertion concerning later works

Merely creating, editing or saving a branch privately does not trigger an assignment under this section. Readers retain rights they actually hold in New Creative Expression that has not been assigned under this section. This does not give them rights in the Original Work, existing branches or third-party material. Retaining those rights is subject to the following undertaking not to assert them concerning the Original Rightsholder's later works.

Even if a branch remains private and has never been publicly disclosed, the branch creator agrees, to the extent permitted by applicable law, not to assert economic copyright, moral rights or other related rights in that branch or its New Creative Expression to restrict the Original Rightsholder's subsequent creation or use of their later works. This includes not relying on those rights to require the cessation of creation, modification, publication, reproduction, distribution, communication, adaptation, translation or commercial exploitation of later works; to demand takedown, deletion, damages, additional remuneration or revenue sharing; or to require consent on each occasion. The same undertaking applies to the Original Rightsholder's lawful successors and licensees in their relevant use of those later works.

This non-assertion undertaking is independent of the assignment rule in Section 7.2 and does not depend on Public Disclosure or an assignment of economic rights. It applies at every level of branching and continues to concern the initial Original Rightsholder's later works. It does not assign copyright in a private branch, grant access to it or authorize unauthorized disclosure or publication of the private branch itself. Rights and remedies that law does not permit to be waived or made subject to a non-exercise undertaking remain reserved. Requirements to retain on-platform attribution, provenance and license information continue to apply.

7.2 First Public Disclosure and assignment

For a Branch Work created in PubWiki, regardless of whether it is labeled public or private within the platform, when the user first personally makes that branch available to the public or expressly directs another person to do so, the user hereby assigns, effective at that time and within the scope specified in these Terms, the lawfully assignable economic rights they actually hold in the New Creative Expression contained in the material actually disclosed, directly to the Original Rightsholder of the initial work on which the branch is based. Disclosure may occur on PubWiki, another website, an application or another public channel. If the first disclosure occurs off-platform, assignment takes effect at that off-platform disclosure, without any separate publication in PubWiki.

Assignment covers only the New Creative Expression actually disclosed. Unpublished chapters, drafts and other portions are not assigned merely because part of the same branch is disclosed. New Creative Expression added in later updates is assigned under the same rule when that expression is first disclosed as described above. Every level of branching follows the same rule: each creator assigns only the relevant rights they actually hold in their own New Creative Expression directly to the same Original Rightsholder, not through intermediate branch creators and not to PubWiki.

7.3 Assignment scope, non-exercise of moral rights and retained rights

The assignment applies worldwide for the entire remaining statutory term of the relevant economic rights. It covers all lawfully assignable economic rights the user holds in the New Creative Expression actually disclosed, including reproduction, distribution, rental, exhibition, performance, screening, broadcasting, making available online or other communication to the public, audiovisual production, adaptation, translation, compilation and exploitation of derivative works. Where Japanese law applies, this expressly includes the rights under Articles 27 and 28 of the Japanese Copyright Act. Within the assigned scope, the Original Rightsholder may use and commercially exploit the content, license others or further assign the rights without additional consent from the branch creator, subject to applicable law and other relevant rightsholders' rights.

No separate assignment fee is payable. Unless mandatory law or a separate agreement with the relevant rightsholder provides otherwise, the branch creator is not entitled to additional compensation, royalties or revenue sharing for the assignment or subsequent exploitation within its scope. Once effective, the assignment is not revoked merely by deleting the branch, making it private or closing an account. Non-excludable statutory termination rights and other remedies remain unaffected.

Assignment excludes rights already held in the Original Work, existing branches or third-party material, rights the user does not actually hold and rights that cannot lawfully be assigned. Nonassignable moral rights, such as attribution, are not transferred. AI-assisted content is covered only to the extent the user actually holds lawfully assignable rights; use of AI does not guarantee copyright arises. Non-excludable legal rights and limitations remain applicable.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, the branch creator agrees not to exercise moral rights, including rights of disclosure, attribution, modification and integrity, or other nonassignable personal rights relating to the use, against the Original Rightsholder, their lawful successors and licensees, and PubWiki providing the Services under these Terms, in relation to their use of the assigned content within this section's scope. This undertaking covers editing, cutting, modifying, translating, adapting, combining with other content and commercial exploitation without seeking the branch creator's consent on each occasion. It is an undertaking not to exercise rights, not a transfer of nonassignable rights. Rights and remedies that law does not permit to be waived or made subject to such an undertaking remain reserved. Sections 6 and 8 continue to require retention of on-platform attribution, provenance and license information.

7.4 Permission for off-platform use

Section 7.2 specifies only when assignment takes effect; it grants no permission to use an Original Work or Branch Work outside PubWiki. Unless separately authorized by the relevant rightsholder or allowed by applicable law, users must not make either work available to the public off-platform. Unauthorized off-platform publication does not become authorized or ratified by the rightsholder merely because it triggers assignment.

7.5 Disclosure by others without consent

A third party's unauthorized leak or reposting of a private branch without the user's consent does not trigger assignment under this section. If the user later personally makes the content available to the public or expressly directs someone to do so, assignment is assessed under Section 7.2 at that user's disclosure.

7.6 Acceptance and application

Both the assignment and non-assertion arrangements must be affirmatively accepted by a user authorized to dispose of the relevant rights, with guardian or other rightsholder consent where legally required. Any required writing or signature formalities must be satisfied, including legally valid electronic signing where applicable. Updating the Terms webpage alone does not establish prior users' acceptance of the new assignment or non-assertion arrangements or automatically assign previously disclosed content retroactively.

This section does not affect action against infringing works and their associated branches under Section 13. Assignment neither legitimizes infringement nor excuses unauthorized publication.

8. Playing, remixing and third-party material

Original novels and their branches are also governed by Sections 6 and 7, which prevail over this section if inconsistent. This section continues to govern playing and remixing other works and the use of third-party material.

When you make play functionality available through the Services, you permit other users, only to the extent you have authority to do so, to access, run and copy the relevant content as needed to use that functionality.

The “Allow Remix” (allow_remix) flag for games is off by default. When a game author enables it, the author grants other users, only to the extent the author has authority to do so, permission to create derivative works of that game within PubWiki. This includes accessing, running, copying and modifying the relevant content for that purpose, and saving, publishing and updating adaptations within PubWiki. Merely making a game playable or public does not enable this derivative-work license. When the flag is off, the platform does not offer new Remix creation or the Player’s “Edit current world” entry point. This license does not transfer copyright in the original game or subject game Remixes to the novel-branch rights assignment in Section 7. Users must retain existing attribution, source relationships and applicable license information, and must not claim another person’s original contributions as their own.

The original author's unpublishing or deletion of a work, or disabling of remixing, does not revoke the permission under this section for remixes lawfully created before that action. Existing remixes may continue to be published and updated within PubWiki and may be remixed again where their remixing feature is made available. This permission also covers subsequent remixes based on those works, subject to the same scope and conditions in this section.

The remix permission above does not prevent us from taking action under Section 13 against infringing works and their associated branches.

This functional permission does not automatically authorize distribution outside PubWiki, commercial reuse or independent extraction of third-party assets. Where another valid license accompanies a work, its permissions and conditions apply. Third-party rights, statutory exceptions and other valid permissions remain unaffected.

9. AI features

AI features may send your instructions, relevant content, history and context needed for a request to external model or infrastructure providers. See the Privacy Policy for data handling. AI output may be inaccurate, incomplete or similar to other users' output and is not professional advice.

To the extent permitted by law and to the extent we hold relevant rights, we assign to you our rights in output generated for you through the Services. This does not guarantee copyright protection, originality or freedom from third-party rights and does not transfer rights belonging to third parties or other users. Acquired rights involving novel branches remain subject to Sections 6 and 7.

10. Acceptable use

Do not use the Services to infringe intellectual property or privacy rights, commit fraud or impersonation, distribute malware, steal credentials, bypass access or billing controls, access another person's private content without permission, deliberately disrupt the Services or engage in unlawful conduct. Do not upload, generate or distribute child sexual exploitation material, nonconsensual intimate imagery or unlawful threats or harassment.

You must not publish or distribute obscene content through the Services. This prohibition applies to text, images, audio, video and AI-generated content.

Automated use must comply with published API limits and granted permissions. Send good-faith security reports to mail@pub.wiki.

11. Prices, credits, payments and refunds

Credits pay for the service charges described in the interface. Package prices, conversion quotes, fees, applicable taxes and quote expiry are governed by the information shown before payment. These Terms do not guarantee a fixed exchange rate between credits and any currency or digital asset. Credits are not bank deposits and offer no investment return. Withdrawal or off-platform transfer is unavailable unless required by law or expressly offered.

Using a billable feature creates the corresponding charge. Under the billing terms displayed when you use it, the system may automatically settle incurred invoices from account credits, including settling prior usage after a top-up. An unpaid credit-purchase order is distinct from an AI usage debt. An AI request confirmed by the platform as failed should not generate a user usage charge; contact us to investigate and correct erroneous charges.

Card payments are handled by the provider identified at checkout. Lightning voucher redemption uses the quote you confirm, and credits are issued after payment is received and confirmed. The external merchant handles voucher purchasing, its verification process and merchant refunds; we handle redemption and credit orders within PubWiki.

Purchased credits are nonrefundable, including unused credits. However, if we voluntarily discontinue the Services permanently, making remaining purchased credits unusable, we will refund the actual purchase amount attributable to those unused credits. Exceptions required by law or arising from duplicate payment, incorrect billing or nondelivery still apply. Contact mail@pub.wiki about billing issues.

A credit purchase does not enroll you in a subscription or automatic top-up. Any future recurring feature requires separate clear disclosure and affirmative enrollment. Statutory withdrawal, refund and remedy rights are not automatically lost by using digital content, accepting these Terms or receiving credits; any legally required separate confirmation must occur in the relevant transaction.

12. Third-party services and creator applications

Third-party sign-in, payment providers, voucher merchants, model services and creators' external links may have their own terms. If a creator application or an agent you authorize sends data to an independent third party, that party may handle it under its own privacy policy. This does not exclude our legal responsibilities for providers we select and manage.

Providing a link does not guarantee its continued availability or endorse all its content.

13. Complaints and copyright

Report unlawful content, infringement or violations of these Terms to mail@pub.wiki, identifying the material and explaining the concern.

For unlawful, infringing or otherwise prohibited content or conduct, we may, depending on its nature, severity and impact, require corrections; restrict publishing, updates or interactions; freeze novel series or games; hide, remove from public access or delete relevant content; and suspend access to some or all Services or terminate accounts under Section 14.

If a work is determined to infringe intellectual property rights, we will also take action on its associated branches, including further branches derived from those branches. Depending on the infringement, measures may include freezing, restricting access to, removing from public access or deleting the work and those branches.

If a complaint, detected irregularity or other reasonable grounds indicate that content may be unlawful, infringing or in violation of these Terms, we may freeze the relevant novel series or game or impose other necessary temporary restrictions before completing our review. While a work is frozen, its creator and collaborators cannot edit its information, modify or update its content, publish new versions or manage the work. Freezing does not by itself stop public reading or playing of existing content; where necessary to prevent further distribution or access, we may separately hide, remove from public access or restrict access to that content.

A preliminary freeze does not mean that a violation has been established. We will lift, maintain or adjust measures based on our review findings and the risks involved. Where reasonably practicable and legally permitted, we will explain the measures and reasons and provide an opportunity to correct the issue, supply further information or appeal. You may also request review at mail@pub.wiki. Urgent circumstances may require immediate action.

Send copyright notices to dmca@pub.wiki. Include identification of the copyrighted work, the specific location of the challenged material, contact information, an authorized signature and the legally required good-faith and accuracy statements. Users affected by mistaken removal may submit a statutory counter-notification. Notices and counter-notifications may be forwarded to the relevant parties as required by law. We will terminate repeat infringers' accounts in appropriate circumstances.

14. Suspension, termination and service changes

You may stop using the Services and request account closure at mail@pub.wiki. We may suspend or terminate access for material breach, fraud, security risks or legal requirements. Where reasonably practicable and legally permitted, we will explain the reason and offer an opportunity to correct or appeal; urgent circumstances may require immediate action.

Termination does not remove valid charges already incurred. Voluntary account closure, or suspension or termination for violating these Terms, does not entitle you to a refund of remaining credits. If we voluntarily discontinue the Services permanently, we will refund the actual purchase amount attributable to remaining purchased credits that can no longer be used, as described in Section 11. The statutory refund and billing-correction exceptions in Section 11 continue to apply. Personal data after account closure is handled under the Privacy Policy. We will give reasonable advance notice of material service discontinuation or changes where practicable and preserve remedies required by law.

15. Service warranties

To the extent permitted by law, the Services are provided as available and as is. We do not guarantee uninterrupted operation, universally correct AI output or that all third-party content will meet your needs.

This clause does not exclude mandatory consumer guarantees concerning quality, reasonable care and skill, conformity of digital content or other non-excludable rights, or obligations we expressly undertake.

16. Limits of liability

To the extent permitted by applicable law, neither party is liable for indirect or consequential losses that were not reasonably foreseeable when the agreement was made. Our aggregate liability for claims arising from the Services is limited to the greater of USD 100 or the service fees you paid us during the 12 months preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

These limits do not apply to fraud, willful misconduct, gross negligence, personal-injury liability that cannot lawfully be limited or other non-excludable or non-limitable liability. They do not limit legally required refunds, statutory privacy remedies or mandatory consumer rights. Greater protections required by the law of your residence apply.

17. Law and disputes

Subject to mandatory consumer protections and applicable choice-of-law rules, these Terms are governed by Delaware law and applicable United States federal law. Please contact mail@pub.wiki to try to resolve a dispute; doing so is not a restriction on timely exercise of legal remedies.

Unless applicable law entitles you to bring proceedings elsewhere, disputes will be heard by competent state or federal courts in Delaware. This does not remove rights to sue or complain in your place of residence. These Terms do not impose mandatory arbitration or waive class actions or jury trials.

18. Changes, language and other provisions

We will publish revisions and their effective date and give reasonable advance notice of material changes. Where law requires renewed acceptance or consent, we will request it. Updating a webpage alone does not retroactively expand previously granted data-processing permissions. If you disagree, you may stop future use while retaining accrued rights.

The Chinese, English and Japanese versions are intended to have the same meaning. A material difference will not reduce rights under applicable law through reliance on the English version; the agreement should be interpreted in context and under applicable law. If a provision is invalid, the remainder continues to apply to the extent it can operate independently. Third-party open-source licenses continue to govern their software. This agreement does not exclude representations, obligations or remedies that cannot lawfully be excluded.