My map allows players to freely use custom animations, with the goal of giving them more ways to play and interact with other players.
All 111+ animations were created entirely using features within UEFN, and the process is as shown in the attached images.
However, a few days ago, my map was penalized because it was determined that:
“Content that advertises access to emotes that players do not own was repeatedly included in the island trailer.
Fortnite emotes are the intellectual property of Epic Games, and
advertising unauthorized access to emotes violates Rule 1.7, ‘Respect Intellectual Property Rights.’”
As a result, I received a one-month monetization suspension, a suspension on creating new releases, and a revenue share review.
I contacted Support and requested a re-investigation, explaining that all of the animations in my map were created using features within UEFN. However, after the re-investigation, I was told that the measures were appropriate and that no further guidance could be provided.
My map’s trailer can be viewed by following the unlisted link.
My trailer is about 27 seconds long. The first half shows the interior of the map, while the second half shows custom animations being played within the map.
As you can see if you watch it, there is absolutely no depiction of Fortnite emotes being used in the trailer, and it should be obvious to anyone that I am not advertising unauthorized access.
The same thing also happened a few weeks ago. Because I wrote “Play with custom emotes” in my map description, I received a two-week monetization suspension, a suspension on creating new releases, and a revenue share review.
Apparently, the description was considered to be “advertising that players can use Fortnite emotes they do not own,” and therefore was considered an “Epic intellectual property infringement under 1.7.1.”
At that time as well, I explained to Support that “custom emote” is not a type of emote that exists in Fortnite, and that the term itself is a general expression also used in other games, and requested a re-investigation. However, after the re-investigation, I was told that the measures were appropriate
and that no further guidance could be provided.
I assume that the investigation into whether a rule has been violated is conducted by Epic employees, but they are clearly not functioning properly.
I have also seen posts saying that someone received a penalty for “using Mixamo animations in their map” under 1.7.1 for Epic intellectual property infringement.
It is clear that they are assuming that custom animations are Fortnite emotes and imposing penalties simply because custom animations are being used in a map.
Under the current circumstances, enabling the use of custom animations in a map carries a significant risk.
No matter how much I follow the rules and make a correct argument, it is meaningless because the investigation team considers custom animations = emotes that players do not own.
What was I supposed to do?
What I want is for the current penalties to be revoked, and for the previous suspension’s revenue share review and monetization suspension to be revoked as well (in other words, for the penalties to be treated as if they never happened, so that revenue is paid normally and there is absolutely no impact on future revenue sharing).
However, Support will no longer accept any further inquiries from me, and there is nothing more I can do on my end.
Does anyone know of any way to resolve this?
I cannot believe that things have escalated this far in just one month despite me following the rules, and I cannot help but feel disappointed in and distrustful of Epic knowing that, rather than this being an AI misjudgment, I was determined to be in violation by a human despite following the rules, and that decision has not been reversed.
Is there no one who can help?
