Your Work Stays Yours
When you bring a character, design, or IP to PopEcho for development, the intellectual property remains entirely yours. We do not claim ownership, licensing rights, or usage rights over the artwork, characters, or concepts you submit.
We are a development studio, not a publisher. We build the physical product. You retain ownership of the work that makes it yours.
What Happens To Your Files After Production
Every supplier in our production network is contractually required to destroy project-related files, reference images, production photos, and material samples within three months of order completion. This includes 3D model files, print-ready artwork, production photography, and physical mock-ups or prototypes that remain at the factory.
In practice, that means a later reorder cannot rely on a supplier storing your previous files. If you return months later and want the same project reproduced, you will need to resubmit your assets and we will treat it as a new production cycle.
We know that creates some friction for reorders. We still chose this approach because the alternative, leaving your character art and product files sitting indefinitely on factory servers, creates a risk most independent creators should not have to absorb.
Keep your own copies of everything you send us. We will always remind you of this before a project closes.
What We Can And Cannot Produce
We try to keep this simple rather than burying it in legal language.
We Are Happy To Produce
- Original characters and original artwork
- Fan art where you hold or have secured the appropriate rights
- Brand mascots, VTuber personas, webcomic characters, and illustrated designs
- Creative merchandise that you have the right to commercialize
We Need To Talk First
If your project involves parody, derivative work based on existing commercial IP, or any situation where the rights are genuinely ambiguous, talk to us before production. We are not lawyers and we will not pretend to adjudicate fair use on your behalf, but we can usually identify obvious commercialization risks early.
We Will Decline
We do not accept the following:
- Explicit sexual content, including full nudity with exposed genitalia
- Hate speech, ethnic or racial targeting, or incitement to violence
- Merchandise depicting real political figures
- Content involving the sexualization of minors in any form
Customs And Jurisdictional Risk
Different countries enforce different content standards. Something that clears inspection in one market may be held in another. We can share what we know from shipping experience, but we cannot guarantee customs clearance in every jurisdiction.
If your project is headed to a market with stricter content regulations, we will flag known risk areas where we can.
If Something Goes Wrong
If we believe a submitted project may infringe someone else's intellectual property, we will tell you before production begins. We will explain the concern and give you a chance to clarify, provide documentation, or adjust the project.
If a third party contacts us with a credible IP dispute about a product we helped develop, we will notify you promptly and work with you to resolve it. We will not hand over your personal information to a claimant unless you consent or the law requires it.
The Short Version
Your IP is yours. Your files are destroyed after three months. We do not produce explicit, hateful, or politically risky content. When a project is borderline, we talk to you directly rather than making a silent decision in the background.
If anything here is unclear, contact us at official@popecho.art.