This is a section of the tutorial Your Responsibilities as a Creator.
Below are some of the key points that every Creator needs to understand, acknowledge, and respect.
Categorizing Content (GA, AP, and UFI)
Because of the diversity of our community, we want to provide the best possible user experience. Therefore, a comprehensive rating process has been implemented to satisfy our users’ needs.
It is very important to properly rate virtual products. Content is classified into the following rating categories:
- General Audience (GA)
- Goods available to all users.
- Users are required to be 13 years or older.
- Access Pass Only (AP)
- Goods available only to users aged 18 years or older who have purchased the Access Pass.
- Unsuitable for IMVU (UFI)
- Goods not allowed anywhere on IMVU’s website.
Let’s see some examples of products and the categories they belong to.
• General Audience
• Access Pass Only
• Unsuitable for IMVU
Examples of products that fit into the UFI category would be a shirt that contains a brand not owned by you and for which you have not been permission to create (copyright violation), a pose that represents a violent or sexual act, or discriminatory content.
A product can be rated (either GA or AP) once it is ready to be uploaded to the Shop. If a product fits in multiple categories, the most restrictive category will apply.
Make sure that your product is appropriately rated. Otherwise, it may fail Peer Review and/or be flagged for review by a member of IMVU Staff.
Merchandising
Once you have submitted your product to the Shop from IMVU Studio, a browser window will open with your product’s information page (Product Page). You can customize your Product Page on the IMVU Classic Website.
Your Product Page edits need to adhere to the same rules as the product category and product rating.
No Product Page may contain any UFI content. For instance, if your product is a hat, you cannot use an image of a naked avatar and mark the product as GA. If your product is a tattoo, you cannot use the description “This is a tattoo for drug Dealers.”
Your Product Page is a marketing resource. Using suitable language and images that fit IMVU Guidelines will have a positive impact on the way your products are viewed by others.
Minimum Coverage Guidelines
To rate a product as GA (General Audience), certain areas of an avatar’s body must be covered.
Minimum Coverage Guidelines (MCG) are the rules that determine those areas and show how to test coverage for clothing products. Any clothing article must adhere to the coverage guidelines, including the related imagery on Product Pages.
If a product does not comply with the MCG, it must be rated Access Pass Only (AP).
To fully understand the Minimum Coverage Guidelines (MCG), take a look at the article “Understanding Minimum Coverage Guidelines”.