Roblox is taking a decisive step to clean up its Marketplace with the introduction of the Proactive Marketplace Archive, a system that is designed to automatically archive avatar items that may infringe intellectual property (IP) rights.
Starting September 4th, 2024, both 2D and 3D avatar items, such as shirts and accessories, will be archived if they do not comply with the Roblox Terms of Use and Community Standards. Creators will not need to act themselves, as Roblox will handle the process. Twitter seems happy with the change, with UGC Creator Vhaega commenting that this is “the only good decision Roblox has made so far in 2024!!”
This change stems from long-standing concerns expressed by users who uploaded content when they were younger and less aware of the implications of using copyrighted material. One community member commented“Great update, glad something like this was added — acknowledging that a lot of people uploaded IP infringing content without knowing 6+ years ago (normally classic t-shirts/pants) where I’m sure a lot of people don’t even know that they can send a manual request to file them.”
However, the change will not affect everything. Limited items, packages, images, models and meshes are not covered by this system. Users whose items are archived will receive inbox notifications and emails, but the most important thing is that they will not face any account moderation consequences for having these items – such as banning.
While the move is a relief for some, it is not without controversy. Another long time user voiced frustrationsaying, “I wouldn’t be surprised, frankly, if Roblox purposely allowed this for as long as possible to bring in revenue from it until they couldn’t anymore. It’s the right approach, for now, but… it will permanently and irreversibly damage older games, as well as innocent fan projects.”
Despite the concerns, Roblox’s focus on building tools to better manage IP is gaining cautious optimism. In the coming months, a new self-service feature will roll out, allowing creators to archive their own avatar items – something many users are happy about given current delays in manual requests.
While the immediate future might be rocky for some creators, Roblox’s latest efforts finally seem geared toward balancing creative freedom with respect for IP rights. YouTube commenters seems to be mainly concerned about losing their cosplay items, but Roblox has refunded the Robux spent on archived items, and I would hope that users would rather not wear stolen designs.
To read the full announcement, go to the Roblox forum.
Want to read more about Roblox at Pro Game Guides? Check out When and where to watch the RDC 2024 event – Roblox and All 2024 Roblox Innovation Awards Nominees and Winners.
