(Not sure I chose the right category for this post, but bear with me)
Me and my friend have spent some time working on a Spider-Verse inspired map, and we’re unsure about how much Spider-Verse content we can include before we will get copyrighted. The first thing is the name. We know the term “Spider-Verse” is copyrighted, but could we include the phrase “SpiderVerse” or “Spider Verse” in our title? We also want to include characters from the movies. Are we allowed to use any character as long as it’s a fan model not directly ripped from a movie or game? Can we use character models that are already in Fortnite even if the characters are copyrighted, such as the Spider-Man skin? And how about music? If I find remixes of songs from Spider-Verse that aren’t copyrighted, can I use them?
You’re not allowed to use any copyrighted materials unless you have permission from the owner. With that being said, I would recommend reaching out to the owners and getting everything cleared.
Unfortunately, the copyright rules are drawn with a rather blurred line. If you’re planning on using all the stuff that you said on your island, then I can see a chance of it not being allowed. Although I have seen some islands that use copyrights in their titles and content that obviously are allowed to be released, such as games like “Son Goku vs. Vegeta” build fights (using Dragon Ball characters in the title), and ones like “Good Soldiers” maze/shooter (using Star Wars ships, characters, and even music [if I wasn’t mistaken] in the actual game).
What makes this whole thing tricky though is that a publisher is not automatically enrolled into the creator payout system when they publicly publish an island, if I understand correctly. Rather, it is something they have to opt-in for after they meet the requirements. But I think there are different restrictions regarding what can be published depending on whether or not the island is to be monetized. So there might be some copyrights that can be used on an unpaid island that can’t be used on a paid island. This is just my best guess though of the way it works, based on the information I’ve read; I could be wrong about the copyright rules.
If it’s already on Fortnite, there shouldn’t be many issues. About the title, give it a twist, but neither should be problematic.