Roblox Unveils Simplified IP Licensing System

The games industry is no stranger to Roblox, but its true scale can be easy to underestimate. Greg Hartrell, senior director of product management at Roblox, reveals the company's ambitious goal of capturing 10% of global gaming content revenue. A key part of this plan involves enabling users to create experiences based on various intellectual properties (IPs). To achieve this, Roblox has introduced a streamlined licensing platform, making it easier for outside firms to integrate their IPs into the Roblox system. The initial lineup of IP holders includes Sega, Lionsgate, Netflix, and Kodansha, with each offering a selection of properties for use within Roblox. To add their IP, companies must go through an onboarding process, where Roblox verifies ownership and ascertains the scope of their copyright. Then, the firm defines a license for the use of the IP on the platform. Hartrell explains that the tools allow for customization of a standard license, including setting a revenue share rate, content standards, and eligibility criteria. The revenue share can be set anywhere from 0 to 95%, with the option to not monetize. If monetization is chosen, the revenue share comes from the creator's gross proceeds after platform fees. The inaugural IP lineup may raise some eyebrows, with some companies opting not to include their biggest properties. Hartrell defends these choices, citing the example of Twilight, which has never been offered as a game license before. He also notes that IP holders can adapt their properties to meet Roblox's community standards, such as adjusting the mature theme of Squid Game to fit a broader audience. The majority of Roblox users are over 13, and brands can set age restrictions as part of their licensing. IP holders have control over their properties and can set eligibility standards, deciding what ultimately gets a license. However, with user-generated content, there's only so much control anyone can have over what users ultimately decide to make. To address concerns about inappropriate use of IPs, Roblox has its own content standards and allows IP holders to set maturity ratings and issue takedown notices. Creators must agree to additional content standards when receiving a license, and IP holders can request changes to conform to their standards. Failure to comply risks losing the license and having content taken down. Hartrell acknowledges that monitoring and moderating IP use on Roblox may be a concern for IP holders, but notes that many issues would violate Roblox's content standards and be picked up by AI scanning and human moderation. From the user's perspective, they can browse the license catalog, pick an IP, read the terms, and accept the license. The license manager reviews the project and can approve or reject it. Once approved, the creator receives the license immediately. Compared to traditional IP rights acquisition, Roblox's system is incredibly streamlined, allowing users to access IPs within days or hours. Hartrell believes that Roblox's tools will quickly flag time-wasting applications, and the company is working to further streamline the workflow. The future may see AI technology describing how an IP is being used and commenting on its conformity to content standards. Currently, no official assets are provided to creators, but Hartrell imagines a future where pre-approved assets could be offered. The discussion raises the question of how Roblox will police unofficial IP use now that official IPs are available. Hartrell says that Roblox must support IP holders' stances, which can range from insisting their IP cannot be used on Roblox to taking a more relaxed approach. Some IP holders may choose to license their IP at scale, allowing a thriving community of fan-created content. The goal is to get more companies involved beyond the initial four that have signed up to the license manager program. Roblox is working to understand how to scale and further streamline the workflow, with the vision of allowing any eligible IP holder to sign up in the future.