Community Guidelines

Last Updated June 5, 2026

Introduction

Welcome to PopJoy, a platform dedicated to celebrating webcomics and the creators who make them. These Community Guidelines establish the standards of conduct and content that make PopJoy a safe, creative, and welcoming space for readers and creators of all kinds.

These guidelines apply to all users of the platform, including readers, commenters, and creators. By accessing or using the site, you agree to follow these guidelines in addition to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

General Rating and Content Warnings

All comics hosted on this platform must be assigned an accurate general rating and any applicable content warning tags by the creator at the time of publication. Misrating content or omitting required warnings is a violation of these guidelines and may result in enforcement action.

Required Content Warnings

In addition to the general rating, creators must apply any relevant content warnings using the platform's tagging system. Recommended warnings include:

Violence

• Realistic violence
• Blood / gore
• Fantasy violence
• Death / dying

Language

• Hate speech / slurs
• Mild language
• Strong language

Sexual Content

• Nudity
• Implied or depicted sex
• Kissing / innuendo

Substance Abuse

• Alcohol use
• Smoking / vaping
• Drug use or addiction themes

Scary / Disturbing

• Jump scares
• Body horror
• Disturbing imagery

Thematic Content

• Suicide / self-harm
• Death / grief
• Abuse / trauma
• Religious themes
• War / oppression
• Mental illness

Creators are encouraged to add additional tags as needed. Readers who have opted out of certain tags will not see that content in browsing feeds.

Creator Conduct

Creators are responsible for all content they upload and for how they engage with their readers and the broader community. As a creator on this platform, you agree to the following:

Content Standards

• All uploaded content must comply with the rating you have selected
• Content must not depict sexual acts involving minors (real or fictional) under any circumstances. This is a zero-tolerance policy and will result in immediate permanent suspension and referral to relevant authorities
• Content must not constitute genuine incitement to real-world violence against identifiable individuals or groups
• Content must not include non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII) of real people
• Deceptively altered images of real people presented as authentic (deepfakes) are prohibited
• Images generated by AI image-generation models (e.g. Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, DALL-E, or similar tools) are not permitted as comic art, cover images, or any other visual content uploaded to the platform. This applies regardless of whether AI-generated images are used alone or composited with other artwork

Creator-Reader Relationships

• Creators may not use platform messaging or comment tools to harass, threaten, or demean readers
• Creators should moderate their own comment sections in good faith and are empowered to remove content that violates these guidelines
• Creators must not misrepresent their identity or impersonate other creators, public figures, or platform staff

Monetization & Promotions

• Creators who accept tips, subscriptions, or other payments must comply with all applicable laws regarding financial transactions and consumer disclosure
• Sponsored content must be clearly labeled as such
• Pyramid schemes, multi-level marketing promotions, or deceptive financial solicitations are prohibited

Comments & Community Behavior

A healthy comment section supports creators and enriches the reading experience. All users participating in comments, forums, or any community feature of this platform must follow these standards.

Expected Behavior

• Engage in good faith — critique ideas, not people
• Respect creator decisions about their own work, even when you disagree
• Stay on topic in comment sections
• Use content warning spoiler tags when discussing sensitive plot points

Prohibited Behavior

• Harassment: Repeated unwanted contact, targeting, or coordinated pile-ons against any user or creator
• Threats: Any statement that could reasonably be interpreted as a threat of physical harm
• Doxxing: Posting or soliciting private personal information about any individual without their consent
• Spam: Repetitive, off-topic, or automated posts, including unsolicited promotional links
• Impersonation: Pretending to be another user, creator, or platform staff member
• Brigading: Coordinating with others to mass-report or mass-target a creator or user

Reporting

All users may report content or behavior that violates these guidelines using community flags or sending a moderation request on our support page. All reports are reviewed by moderation staff. False or bad-faith reports are themselves a violation of these guidelines.

Harassment & Hate Speech

PopJoy is committed to being a space where people of all backgrounds can participate without fear of discrimination or abuse.

Hate Speech

Content that dehumanizes individuals or groups on the basis of the following protected characteristics is prohibited:

• Race, ethnicity, or national origin
• Religion
• Gender identity or expression
• Sexual orientation
• Disability
• Age
• Immigration or citizenship status

This includes slurs used as attacks, content that portrays a group as subhuman, and calls for discrimination.

Note: Fictional content that explores themes of prejudice, bigotry, or discrimination in a narrative or critical context is not automatically prohibited, but must be rated and tagged appropriately.

Harassment

Harassment is defined as a pattern of behavior directed at a specific individual or group with the intent or effect of causing distress. A single severe incident (e.g., a credible threat against a member of the community) may also constitute harassment. Examples include:

• Repeated negative or hostile comments targeting a specific person
• Coordinating others to attack, mass-report, or pile on a user or creator
• Sending unwanted private messages after being told to stop
• Creating content whose primary purpose is to mock or demean a specific private individual

Copyright & Intellectual Property

PopJoy respects the intellectual property rights of creators and third parties and expects all users to do the same.

Ownership & Licensing

• Creators retain full ownership of their original work uploaded to PopJoy
• By uploading content, creators grant PopJoy a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, display, and distribute that content on the platform as part of normal site operations, including promotion
• Creators must only upload content they have the right to share — uploading work created by others without permission is strictly prohibited and should be reported

Fan Works & Derivative Content

Fan art and fan-fiction based on third-party intellectual property (e.g., existing comics, games, films) occupy a complex legal space. Creators posting derivative works should be aware that:

• Some IP holders explicitly permit non-commercial fan works, while others do not
• Posting derivative works is done at the creator's own legal risk
• PopJoy will respond promptly to valid DMCA takedown notices (see DMCA & Copyright Takedown Procedures below)

Trademarks & Impersonation

• Do not use another creator's name, logo, or branding in a way that implies affiliation or endorsement
• Do not upload another creator's work and present it as your own

DMCA & Copyright Takedown Procedures

Submitting a Takedown Notice

If you believe content on PopJoy infringes your copyright, please submit a DMCA takedown notice through our support page. Select "Legal" > "Copyright / IP Complaint" as the category when submitting.

If you are unable to use the support form, you may contact our designated agent directly at legal@popjoy.app.

A valid notice must include:

• Your name and contact information (address, phone, email)
• Identification of the copyrighted work you claim has been infringed
• Identification of the infringing material on this site, including its URL
• A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use is not authorized
• A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on their behalf
• Your physical or electronic signature

Counter-Notices

If you believe your content was removed in error, you may submit a counter-notice through the support page, selecting "Legal" > "Content removal dispute" as the category. If you are unable to use the form, contact us at legal@popjoy.app.

A valid counter-notice must include:

• Your name and contact information (address, phone, email)
• Identification of the removed content and its location before removal
• Statement (under penalty of perjury) that removal was a mistake
• Your consent to jurisdiction of the relevant federal district court

Repeat Infringers

PopJoy will terminate the accounts of users who are found to be repeat copyright infringers, in accordance with the DMCA.

Enforcement

Consequences

Violations of these guidelines may result in one or more of the following, depending on severity and frequency:

• A formal warning
• Temporary suspension of posting or commenting privileges
• Content removal
• Permanent account suspension
• Referral to law enforcement where required by law

Appeals

Users who believe a moderation action was applied in error may appeal by contacting support@popjoy.app. PopJoy aims to respond to all appeals within 3–5 business days. Moderation decisions that are not appealed within 30 days are considered final.

No Guarantee of Review

Due to the volume of content on the platform, we cannot guarantee that all reported content will be reviewed immediately. We prioritize reports involving potential harm to minors, credible threats, and CSAM.

Changes to These Guidelines

PopJoy reserves the right to update these guidelines at any time. Significant changes will be announced via a site notice at least 7 days before they take effect. Continued use of the platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated guidelines.

Contact

For questions about these guidelines, please visit our support page and submit a General Inquiry request.