Content Guideline

  • 1. Introduction

    Welcome to the world of STARY! STARY PTE.LTD.("STARY", "we", "us") provides APPs of online original works where authors can write and publish their works, readers can enjoy massive high-quality works on these APPs.

  • 2. Rules of Conduct

    To ensure that STARY remains safe and respectful apps, and comply with various APP Stores’ regulations on User-generated content (UGC), we have created standards to manage the content on our APPs. Some content is limited or prohibited to spread on our APPs.

    Before logging into the APPs, as the administrator, we must remind you:
    1) Works on our APPs are fictional. Literary creations in fictional worlds cannot be the benchmarks of behaviors in the real world;
    2) During using the APPs, please respect others’ feelings, customs, religions, and personal information;
    3) Before using the APPs, it is important to read the Content Guideline carefully. STARY reserves the right to refuse service, terminate accounts, remove, or edit content against our policy in our sole discretion.
  • 3. Content Rating

    Users on STARY APPs may be harmed by unpleasant contents. To protect users from harm and help them to distinguish the content rating, you should rate the works consciously when publishing a works.

  • Content Rating on STARY APPs:
    4+ All Ages: The content is suitable for all ages.
    12+ Teen and Up: The content may not be appropriate for readers under the age of 13.
    16+ Mature: The content contains complex social issues (such as wealth, poverty, crime, etc.) which may be suitable for readers aged 16 and older.
    18+ Explicit: The content may contain dark themes (such as issues of loss, death, and sadness) that are suitable for readers aged 18 and older.
    Please note that not all the Mature content is available on the APPs, rating Mature does not mean that you can post any content without any limitations.
  • 4. What Will Be Removed

    The following contents are limited or forbidden on the APPs, these contents may be deleted anytime. This is not the completed list, STARY has the right to remove any and all contents that we find inappropriate. Any and all contents that could put our APPs at risk will be removed. STARY reserves the right to remove any and all unsuitable contents and close any accounts without notice.

  • Sexual Content

    As literary creation APPs, STARY APPs accepts Mature content which the primary purpose is artistic and literary. The content must be fictional, and intends to promote plot development in literary creation. Please do not publish:
    1) Any sexual content involving minors, in particular, material that depicts a person who is, or appears to be, under 16 years of age in sexual activity, in a sexually provocative manner or in any other offensive manner;
    2) Any sexual content that is in violation of any applicable laws and regulations;
    3) Any content that encourages or promotes illegal sexual acts and non-consensual sexual acts;
    4) Any content that depicts nudity or genitalia in a manner calculate to titillate, in particular, depictions showing details of genitals, pubic hair or female breasts;
    5) Any content that depicts or promotes sexual violence or sexual activity involving coercion or non-consent of any kind; and
    6) Any content that would depict or promote different sexual positions, sexual techniques and/or deviant sexual activity such as anal intercourse.
    Please note that not all the Mature content is available on the APPs, rating Mature does not mean that you can post any content without any limitations.
  • Violence, Murder and Bullying

    Although works are fictional, we must emphasize that reading about extreme violence, murder and bullying may cause certain psychological harm to readers. Please do not glorify violence, murder and bullying in your works. The followings may be removed at anytime:
    1) Any and all contents that intend to attract readers with violence, murder and bullying;
    2) Any and all contents that encourage or facilitate gratuitous violence or other dangerous activities;
    3) Any and all contents that encourage, promote, or praise threats, harassment, or bullying;
    4) Any and all contents related to terrorism, such as contents that promote terrorist acts, incite violence, or celebrate terrorist attacks; and
    5) Any content that depicts or promotes sexual violence or sexual activity involving coercion or non-consent of any kind; and
    5) Any and all contents that encourage or promote murder, kill in revenge or committing crime.
  • Hate Speech

    STARY APPs are diversified APPs. Users come from multiple countries and areas. Please fully respect cultural backgrounds and living customs of different regions. To maintain the safety of our community and the civilization of the APPs, the following contents are prohibited to post:
    1) Any hate speech based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, age, nationality, and veteran status;
    2) Any hate speech against individuals or groups based on sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or any other characteristics that are associated with systemic discrimination or marginalization; and
    3) Any and all content that glorifies, incites, endorses or promotes ethnic, racial or religious hatred, strife, intolerance or ill-will between different races or classes of people.
  • Dangerous Products

    Promotional and marketing content about weapons, drugs, tobaccos, alcohol and other dangerous products will be deleted, including but not limited to:
    1) Any and all contents that related to the sales of explosives, firearms, ammunition, or certain firearms accessories;
    2) Any and all contents that provide instructions for the manufacture of explosives, firearms, ammunition, restricted firearm accessories, or other weapons. Including instructions on how to convert a firearm to automatic, or simulated automatic, firing capabilities.
    3) Any and all contents that related to the process of making and administering, the sales of marijuana or marijuana products; and
    4) Any and all contents that related to the process of making and administering, the sales of tobacco and alcohol.
  • Sensitive Events

    We do not allow contents that lack reasonable sensitively towards or capitalize on a natural disaster, atrocity, conflict, death, or other tragic events; Any and all contents that abuse such sensitive events to attract reader’s attention and satisfy curiosity will be removed.
  • Other Objectionable UGC

    You are not allowed to submit any UGC to the APPs that:
    1) contains defamatory or libelous material;
    2) promotes illegal activities or conduct such as crime or terrorism;
    3) propagates heresies, superstitions or vulgar content (including but not limited to low-level fun, vulgar, depressing, decadent content);
    4) insinuates, distorts, slanders public figures, current affairs policies, political and military images of any country;
    5) includes any political campaigns, commercial recruitment, chain letters, bulk mail or any form of "spam" or unsolicited commercial electronic messages;
    6) contains any telephone numbers, street addresses or email addresses of any individual;
    7) discloses state secret and/or endangers country/region security or the state power;
    8) involves illegal gambling contents;
    9) infringes the rights of minors;
    10) fabricates and/or spreads fake news or information;
    11) violates any copyright or right of publicity or privacy or legal rights;
    12) is contrary to any applicable law and public policy, or against the public interest, public order or national harmony of any jurisdiction;
    13) describes, depicts, expresses or otherwise deals with matters of race or religion in such a manner that the availability of the UGC is likely to cause feelings of enmity, hatred, ill-will or hostility between different racial or religious groups;
    14) has the tendency to cause misunderstanding, insensitivity, feelings of ill-will or hostility between different races or classes of the population of any country or jurisdiction;
    15) denigrate or is insensitive towards racial groups or religious beliefs or represents, directly or indirectly, that any particular community or group are inherently inferior to other members of the public or of any other community or group;
    16) has the tendency to bring into hatred or contempt against the government of any country or jurisdiction;
    17) has the tendency to excite the citizens of any country or jurisdiction to attempt to procure the alteration, otherwise than by lawful means, of any matter as by law established;
    18) has the tendency to bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against the administration of justice of any jurisdiction; or
    19) has the tendency to raise discontent or disaffection amongst the citizens of any country or jurisdiction.
  • 5. Intellectual Property

    1)STARY respects the intellectual achievements of each user and protects the legitimate rights and interests of each user. In case that any works published and uploaded on any APP of STARY is deemed to be infringement, such as plagiarism, STARY shall take assistance measures including but not limited to remove the infringed works, warning, and other measures, according to the copyright owner's request, after he provides the following necessary information:
    ● the identity certificate of the copyright owner, including the identity card, business license, and other valid identity documents;
    ● proof of copyright ownership, including but not limited to, relevant copyright registration certificates, or authorization documents;
    ● Infringement evidence, including without limitation, the content and location of the alleged infringing information.
    On condition that the abovementioned information is not provided or the requirements are not met, STARY shall not take corresponding measures for the time being. In case that any third party has committed such infringements to your works, you may submit the foregoing materials to STARY through copyright@stary.com, and STARY shall assist in the review. In the event of any action of the third party is deemed to be infringement, STARY shall take measures to remove related infringement works to stop their continued dissemination.
    2) Users who publish and submit works to any APP of STARY are deemed to agree to the corresponding measures taken by STARY regarding the preceding paragraph. In addition to the obligation to take assistance measures in the preceding paragraph, STARY shall not be liable for infringement, breach of contract or any other legal liabilities for corresponding measures such as infringement disputes and removal of works, including but not limited to the compensation for losses caused to users due to unfounded allegations of infringement. On condition that the user has any objection to the measures taken by STARY, he may notify STARY by means of email indicated at the end of the Guideline for further communication.
    3) Users hereby represent and warrant that the works he publishes and submits does not infringe the legal rights of any third party (including but not limited to any intellectual property rights, reputation rights, name rights, portrait rights, privacy rights and other legal rights and interests under any applicable laws and regulations) , does not involve any and all legal disputes including intellectual property disputes, does not violate any and all provisions of the applicable copyright laws and regulations.
  • 6. Disclaimer

    1) We cannot guarantee that every malicious act of pretending to be a network user is identified. In case that a malicious third person pretends to be a network user and submits UGC to us and is accepted by us, we will not bear any responsibility, but we guarantee to actively protect the legitimate rights and interests of each user from infringement. When receiving a complaint from a real user, it will be verified as soon as possible, and the works and the malicious impersonator's account will be deleted immediately after confirmation;
    2) Where any user of our APPs submits or publishes reprinted works on our APPs without permission, we are not responsible for the user's reprinting behavior, but we promise to delete the post as soon as possible after receiving a complaint and to ban the user's account correspondingly. The reprinted works shall only be published and submitted on the APPs of STARY, provided that the user indicates the resource of the works with permission;
    3) We have the right to interrupt and restrict all activities on our APPs by users who harm our interests and violate the rules for publishing works;
    4) We only provide free works publishing APPs for the majority of users to allow more registered users to create original content online. The works you publish does not represent any of our views, and you should be responsible for the works you create.
  • Thank you for reading the "Content Guideline" carefully. We wish you continuous innovation and creation on the road of online literature creation. In case that you have any suggestions, comments, or questions about the relevant provisions of these rules, the measures we have taken, or the services provided, please contact the copyright@stary.com for inquiries, confirmations and further communication. We will actively respond and give you the necessary help.