The GREE Creative Guidelines (the “Guidelines”) apply with respect to all Internet advertising services (the “Services”) provided to advertisers (“advertisers”) by GREE, Inc. (“GREE”) and its subsidiaries, affiliates, and partners (collectively, the “Company”). Advertisers must comply with all terms and conditions of the GREE Ads Terms.

In addition, all advertising on the platform of the “GREE” social networking service operated by the Company must comply with the GREE Privacy Policy and all applicable terms of use for such platform.

An advertiser displaying an ad, and/or its agency/partner network, is deemed to have warranted that the ad complies with the Guidelines.

Guideline 1. Liability

The legal liability for ad content rests entirely with the advertiser, and the advertiser is responsible for ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations. It is the sole responsibility of the advertiser to address any complaints arising in connection with the ad content or any of the information on a linked site, and the Company assumes no liability therefor.

The advertiser shall indemnify, defend and hold the Company and its affiliates and its and their respective directors, officers, employees, agents, successors and assigns (collectively, the “Company Indemnified Parties”) harmless for any claims, losses, liabilities, damages, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses of litigation) of whatever kind or nature incurred by any of the Company Indemnified Parties arising out of or related to ad content distributed by the advertiser or the advertiser's breach of any of the terms of the Guidelines.

Guideline 2. Advertiser

Please be advised that an advertiser's ad will not be displayed under the following circumstances.

  1. If the business conducted by the advertiser is contrary, or may be contrary, to any applicable foreign, federal, state or local laws, statutes, regulations, ordinances, rules, orders or decrees (collectively, “Applicable Laws”) of the relevant countries
  2. If the business conducted by the advertiser is contrary, or may be contrary, to public order and morality
  3. If the business conducted by the advertiser could damage the Company's corporate image
  4. If the Company otherwise deems the advertiser unsuitable

Guideline 3. Right to accept or refuse ads

The ads submitted must meet all terms and conditions of the Guidelines set forth by the Company, and the right to approve or reject the display of an advertisement rests with the Company. If a violation of Applicable Laws or the Company's acceptability standards is discovered, or a formal complaint is made while the ad is running, the Company may immediately suspend the ad at its discretion. Even if this occurs, the advertiser will be billed in accordance with the original advertising display fees. Additionally, if the Company suffers damages as a result of such advertising, the advertiser will reimburse the Company for the entire amount of such damage.

The advertiser must submit to the Company the following documents (ⅰ) advertiser's business license or company registry; (ⅱ) the certificate of the quality of the relevant product or service if the ad contains the statement that such product or service has been certified by a relevant organization or government body; (ⅲ) other documents which the Company may reasonably require to verify the content of the ads or the advertiser's compliance with these Guidelines; and (ⅳ) if images of an individual are used in an ad, a consent from such individual whose image is used in the ads. The Company may refuse to display the ads if the adviser fails to provide such documents at the Company's reasonable request.

Guideline 4. Prohibited ads

Please be advised in advance that advertising will not be displayed under the following circumstances.

  1. Advertising that violates, or may violate, Applicable Laws of the relevant countries, for example because it is misleading, aggressive or an unlawful comparative advertisement
  2. Advertising for the purpose of encouraging religious beliefs or for proselytizing activities
  3. Advertising that makes representations about the indications, efficacy, or performance of medical treatments, pharmaceuticals, or cosmetics that go beyond the scope of what is provided in the Applicable Laws of the relevant countries, or what has been approved by relevant government agencies or organizations, or which are deemed as having no medical, pharmacological, or other scientific basis
  4. Advertising in connection with the conduct of gambling, online gambling, or lotteries on a website or sites that aid such activity
  5. Advertising that contains obscenity, plays on people's fears, or that makes people feel distressed or uncomfortable
  6. Advertising for businesses and enterprises that are highly likely to compete with the Company's services
  7. Advertising for sites that do not comply with Applicable Laws relating to data protection, including sites that do not clearly state the purposes for which the personal information acquired will be used and sites that do not handle personal information as stated
  8. Advertising that could promote the activities of anti-social organizations or individuals (including terrorists) or criminal activity
  9. Advertising in connection with sites that do not present contact and cancellation information in a readily understandable and correct manner. The required contact information includes the name and address of the advertiser, a contact email address and, if the advertiser is located in European Economic Area, the advertiser's VAT number
  10. Advertising in connection with sites that do not present information about rates and terms of use in a readily understandable and correct manner
  11. Advertising that contains content that violates public order and morality
  12. Advertising that contains expressions endorsing violence and/or criminal or other illegal activity or expressions that could promote violence and/or criminal or other illegal activity
  13. Advertising that contains expressions defaming or slandering a third party or expressions that damage a third-party's reputation or credit, regardless of race, sex, denomination, place of origin, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, or gender identity
  14. Advertising that infringes, or may infringe, on the rights of third parties (e.g. copyrights, trademarks and other intellectual property rights, Unfair Competition Prevention Act of Japan, privacy, publicity rights, and likeness rights)
  15. Advertising in connection with carrying out or facilitating real money trading (RMT), or advertising that could be associated with such activities
  16. Advertising that contains, or may contain, spyware or computer viruses
  17. Advertising that contains, or could contain, email that has the characteristics of spam (email that is sent indiscriminately and in bulk)
  18. Advertising that induces, or may induce, inadvertent user clicks
  19. Advertising that causes, or may cause, users to incur fees or register for services without the explicit consent of the user (e.g. fake invoices and registrations simultaneously sent to other sites)
  20. Advertising for bullets, ammunition, firearms, paintball guns, BB guns, explosives, pepper spray, stun guns, highly concealable blades, nunchuks, swords, brass knuckles, collapsible batons, converted airguns, components of the foregoing and any weapons in general, or any other illegal products and services
  21. Advertising for financial services or consumer credit that are not authorized or licensed by relevant laws, agencies, or organizations, or are likely not to have been so authorized or licensed
  22. Advertising for adult products or services such as toys, videos, publications, shows and sexual enhancement products.
  23. Advertising related to alcohol that does not meet, or may not meet, the applicable country's governing laws, required or recommended industry standards, guidelines, licenses or approvals
  24. Advertising in connection with stolen items or goods acquired through some other illegal means
  25. Advertising that displays or imitates the logo or the trademark of the Company or the Company's subsidiaries, or any products or services that show them (including game names or game terminology), without the specific approval of the Company
  26. Advertising that constitutes, or is likely to constitute, the sale of body parts such as organs, blood, or cells
  27. Advertising for the sale or consumption of illegal or recreational drugs, narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, toxic drugs, radioactive drugs, tobacco or drug or tobacco paraphernalia
  28. Advertising for adult introduction services or encounter sites with strong sexual connotations
  29. Advertising where the content of the ad displayed differs from the content of landing page
  30. Advertising that insults, attacks, threatens, harasses, bullies or demeans others
  31. Advertising that contains “hate speech” that is directed at an individual or a group and is based on categories including race, sex, religious affiliation, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or language
  32. Advertising where material factors affecting consumers' buying decisions are not specifically indicated or fully disclosed in the banner or landing page
  33. Advertising where material factors affecting consumers' buying decisions are not easily recognizable
  34. Advertising that makes representations about the superiority of the product or service, or compares the product or service with other company's product or service without any objective standards
  35. Advertising that slanders or libels other competitors' product or service
  36. Advertising that contains exaggerations or misrepresentations as to the true nature of the business, product or service, or conditions of sale
  37. Advertising for a product or service designated as “harmful to juveniles” by relevant laws and regulations
  38. Advertising for products or services that bypass copyright protection, such as software, cable or satellite signal descrablers
  39. Advertising that is deceptive because it is likely to mislead consumers and affect consumers' behavior or decisions about the products or service
  40. Advertising that is untruthful or implies something that isn't true
  41. Advertising that contains claims that cannot be backed up or proven
  42. Advertising a product or service that the advertiser has no intention of selling
  43. Advertising for sweepstakes-type promotions or contests that require a purchase by participants
  44. Advertising that is unfair because it causes or is likely to cause substantial consumer injury which a consumer could not reasonably avoid and it is not outweighed by the benefit to consumers
  45. Advertising that collects, uses, or discloses personal information from children in Germany under the age of 14 or any person located outside of Japan and Germany under the age of 13
  46. Advertising that promotes get-rich-quick and other money-making opportunities that offer compensation for little or no investment, including money-making schemes positioned as alternatives to part-time or full-time employment
  47. Advertising otherwise deemed inappropriate by the Company based on relevant laws and regulations or the Company's acceptability standards

*However, the advertiser is solely responsible for the content of the advertising, and the determination made by the Company is not a guarantee of its legality or fitness.

Guideline 5. Prohibited representations

Please be advised in advance that representations of the following types will not be displayed.

  1. Representations that hurt usability

    Examples:

    • Those in which there is no connection between the ad and the landing page
    • Those that could confuse users within our site, such as a fake search window
    • Those that do not lead to a functional landing page, or that affect the ability of the user to navigate away from the landing page
  2. Representations that could conflict with the carrier
    • A logo or service information from a company that competes with the displaying carrier
  3. Representations with content that does not meet the Company's acceptability standards or that could conflict with Applicable Laws including anything likely to deprave or corrupt viewers

    Examples:

    • Imagery including sexual elements
    • Ecstatic facial expressions and provocative poses
    • Imagery that connotes sexual acts
    • Imagery connoting physical relations or other inappropriate relations
    • The content used to appeal to users contains material that is too sexual
    • Skimpy clothing or close-up images of the chest, buttocks, or other parts
  4. Imagery that makes users feel uncomfortable, distressed or fearful

    Examples:

    • Grotesque imagery that includes criminal and/or bizarre elements
    • Imagery that calls attention to physical characteristics in a negative way
    • Imagery that could hurt those who are socially disadvantaged
    • Imagery that could whip-up anxiety or foment unrest among users (including superstitious imagery)
    • Imagery that contains discrimination based on racial, gender, or religion;
    • Imagery that induces harm to the environment or natural resources.
  5. ads containing the national flag, the national emblem, or the national anthem of the PRC.
  6. Imagery that expressly or implicitly targets a user's personal characteristics within categories including race, religious affiliation, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or medical condition, financial status or information, trade union membership or criminal record.
  7. Imagery otherwise deemed inappropriate by the Company based on relevant laws and regulations or the Company's acceptability standards

* However, the advertiser is solely responsible for the content of the advertising, and the determination made by the Company is not a guarantee of its legality or fitness.

Guideline 6. Representations prohibited to reflect relevant laws

In keeping with Applicable Laws governing advertising representations, use of any of the following advertising representations is prohibited by the Company.

  1. Unqualified expressions using words like “biggest” or “best” and expressions that are misleading about a degree of certainty are prohibited

    Examples:

    • Making claims about the quality of a product using unqualified expressions such as “world's first,” “world's leading,” “sure-fire,” or “best” is prohibited unless supported by a neutral third party institution
    • Expressions such as “rock bottom” or “lowest price” are prohibited as a general rule
    • Expressions suggesting that anyone is certain to obtain the same results are prohibited
  2. The use of expressions suggesting that doctors, patients or specialists have recognized the beneficial effects of a product/service is prohibited

    Examples:

    • The use of expressions indicating that medical personnel or other professionals (such as hairdressers) have recognized the beneficial effects and recommend the product/service is prohibited
    • The use of expressions indicating that the product/service was developed by medical personnel is prohibited
    • Price statements must not mislead, including by omission, undue influence or distortion.
  3. The use of expressions suggesting that government bodies or government officials endorse the product/service is prohibited

    Example:

    • Expressions that government bodies or government officials are using the products/services are prohibited
  4. Appeals that make use of numbers

    Examples:

    • Expressions that use numbers to assert efficacy claims that have not been recognized by the relevant agencies are prohibited
    • Representations such as “Top seller on the XYZ website!” are prohibited except when the actual time frame of the survey is clearly stated
  5. Before-and-after comparisons using photographs or numbers

    Examples:

    • The use of before-and-after comparisons for weight loss and hair growth is prohibited
  6. Appeals based on user experiences

    Examples:

    • Representations about experiences that go beyond the effects/indications that have been recognized by the relevant agencies for any health foods, cosmetics, or quasi-medicinal products are prohibited
  7. Appeals based on efficacy

    Examples:

    • Expressions departing from the scope of permissible expressions for cosmetics are prohibited
    • The use of disallowed expressions such as “cures acne,” “penetrates deep into the skin,” and “stimulates cells” is prohibited
    • Expressions departing from the scope of permissible expressions for quasi-medicinal products are prohibited
    • Expressions about treatments that go beyond the scope of “prevention” are prohibited
    • Expressions departing from the scope of permissible expressions for health foods (supplements) are prohibited
    • Use of medical or pharmaceutical terminologies or other expressions implying medical efficacy in ads for food, wine/alcohol, or cosmetic products
    • Expressions making assertions about “slimming” are prohibited. Alternative expressions that can be interpreted as having the same meaning as the foregoing are also prohibited. (Representations about experience are also prohibited)
    • Other representations about drug efficacy not recognized by relevant government agencies are also prohibited
  8. Representations that could be misleading about quality or benefits

    Examples:

    • Expressions indicating that the product/service is better than it actually is are prohibited
    • Expressions that untruthfully indicate that the product/service is better than a competing company's product/service are prohibited
    • Expressions that misleadingly indicate that a product/service is better for an ordinary consumer than it actually is are prohibited
    • Expressions that misleadingly indicate that a product/service is better for an ordinary consumer than a competing company's product/service are prohibited
  9. Expressions that fan user anxiety are prohibited

    Examples:

    • Expressions such as “metabolic syndrome will shorten your life” and “you will be disliked if you have body odor” are prohibited
  10. Expressions that significantly contribute to the desire to engage in speculation or gambling

    Examples:

    • Expressions such as “sure-fire winner,” “make X million yen a month,” or “earn X million yen on the side” are prohibited
    • Representations of banknotes or currency, or representations that are similar to or suggest the same are prohibited
    • Expressions deemed to represent undue solicitation or inducement are prohibited
    • Claims that products can facilitate winning in games of chance
  11. Expressions evocative of sexual encounters

    Examples:

    • Expressions about personal encounter websites, or evocative of them, such as “you can meet,” “will meet,” or “you will see,” are prohibited
  12. Advertising that cannot be clearly identified as such or that does not clearly identify the advertiser

    Examples:

    • Promotional offers, competitions and games that are not clearly identifiable as advertising
  13. Advertisements for promotions or competitions that are unclear (including because the terms and conditions of the promotion or competition are not easily accessible or sufficiently detailed) or misleading (including because the advertised prize or a reasonable equivalent was not awarded or because the promoter caused unnecessary disappointment for entrants).
  14. Comparative advertising that (ⅰ) does not compare goods and services meeting the same needs or intended for the same purposes; or (ⅱ) does not objectively compare one or more material, relevant, verifiable and representative features of those goods.
  15. Advertising that (ⅰ) discredits or denigrates the trademarks, trade names, other distinguishing marks, goods, services, activities or circumstances of a competitor; (ⅱ) takes unfair advantage of the reputation of a competitor's trade name or trade mark; (ⅲ) presents goods or services as imitations or replicas of goods and services bearing a competitor's trade mark or trade name; or (ⅳ) creates confusion with the marks, goods or services of a competitor or other trader.
  16. Expressions that create the impression that a product can be legally sold when it cannot
  17. Expressions that present rights given to consumers in law as a distinctive feature of the advertiser's offer
  18. Representations that directly encourage children to buy advertised products or persuade their parents or other adults to buy advertised products for them, or any other representations that violate Applicable Laws governing advertisements to children.
  19. Representations that exaggerate the environmental benefits of products or services
  20. Representations otherwise deemed inappropriate by the Company based on Applicable laws and regulations or the Company's acceptability standards

* However, the advertiser is solely responsible for the content of the advertising, and the determination made by the Company is not a guarantee of its legality or fitness.

Guideline 7. Conditions for representations about being free of charge

When making “Free” or similar offers all the terms, conditions and obligations upon which receipt and retention of the “Free” item are contingent should be set forth clearly and conspicuously at the outset of the offer so as to leave no reasonable probability that the terms of the offer might be misunderstood. Statements are acceptable if there is no possibility of misleading users about whether it is free in other respects and if the statement otherwise complies with Applicable Law.

[Things to bear in mind for subscription services]
Advertising for subscription services for which a fee is charged depending on the length of use is limited to those that have received approval at the Company's discretion. In this case, such subscription services include sites that prompt users to sign up for repeated request or automatic updates for services or products, and statements that do not indicate that the product or service is provided on a subscription basis, expressions such as “free of charge,” and other expressions that could be misunderstood by users are prohibited.

  • Ads that cause a user to automatically join or renew a subscription service without the user's awareness or agreement are prohibited
  • Ads that indicate to the user that they are for a subscription service, but do not give the user the ability to choose between accepting or rejecting the service are prohibited
  • Ads in which the choice to apply for the subscription service is already selected (e.g. the opt-in box is already checked) are prohibited
  • Ads for sites that do not clearly indicate to users that they will be regularly billed, or the monetary amount or the time period for the billing (e.g. weekly or monthly), on the page where the user's personal information and payment information are requested, are prohibited
  • Ads for sites that do not clearly indicate the cancellation method are prohibited
  • Representations otherwise deemed inappropriate by the Company based on Applicable Laws or the Company's acceptability standards are prohibited

* However, the advertiser is solely responsible for the content of the advertising, and the determination made by the Company is not a guarantee of its legality or fitness.

Guideline 8. Prohibition of words and expressions suggesting an age limit

Because they could cause users to misunderstand by suggesting that there is some sort of age limit (e.g. that a product or service is for sale to adults), the following expressions are prohibited:

Examples:
“NC17,” “for people over age XX,” “for adults,” “not for children,” “no minors allowed”

  • Representations otherwise deemed inappropriate by the Company based on relevant laws and regulations or the Company's acceptability standards will not be displayed

* However, the advertiser is solely responsible for the content of the advertising, and the determination made by the Company is not a guarantee of its legality or fitness.

Guideline 9. Prohibition of false representations

When there is no correlation between the submission and the landing page or when there is a representation that differs from truth, the ad will not be allowed. Please refer to the following cases.

Examples:

  • Although the ad promises a discount if a certain number of items are purchased, the discount is not given when that number is purchased
  • Although the ad says that quantities are limited, quantities are in fact not limited and the number of units sold exceeds the number displayed
  • Although the ad states that the sale ends in a certain number of minutes, the product continues to be sold on those terms even after that time has elapsed
  • Although the ad says that the item causes major damage to a boss, in reality it does not cause any more damage to that boss than an ordinary item
  • Although the ad says that the player will win a prize (for example, they will get an item if they bring down a certain character), that promise is not fulfilled (e.g. they are not granted the item in some cases).
  • Although the ad says that a certain product or service is patented, the relevant patent is pending, revoked, or expired (in any event, the ad must state the relevant patent number if it claims that a certain product or service is patented).
  • The ad misleads by omission

Representations otherwise deemed inappropriate by the Company based on relevant laws and regulations or the Company's acceptability standards

* However, the advertiser is solely responsible for the content of the advertising, and the determination made by the Company is not a guarantee of its legality or fitness.

Guideline 10. Prohibition of representations that could mislead users

Ample and careful consideration must be given concerning representations that could mislead users. All claims that consumers are likely to regard as objective must be adequately substantiated. Please exercise care and refer to the following examples of unacceptable expressions when submitting ads.

  1. Care to avoid exaggerations

    Examples: “Popular,” “famous,” “super strong,” and “No. 1”
    For example, if the ad says “deep discount,” it will not be displayed if the use of the term “deep discount” differs significantly from the generally understood use of the term

  2. Care in using relative expressions

    Examples: “X times,” “extra bonus,” and “easier”
    For example, if the ad says “more powerful” it will not be displayed unless it is easy to understand what the item is being compared with and in what way it is “more powerful”

  3. Care in using expressions about scarcity

    Examples: “Limited,” “rare,” and “premium”
    For example, if the ad says “limited,” its display will not be accepted unless it is easy to understand what is limited and in what way it is limited

  4. Care in making promises

    Examples: “Guaranteed,” “only one,” and “sure to win”
    For example, if the ad says “guaranteed,” it will not be displayed unless it is easy to understand the nature of the guarantee

  5. Care in using expressions about opportunity

    Examples: “Ending soon,” “act now...” and “limited time offer”
    For example if the ad says “ending soon,” it will not be displayed if the use of the term “soon” differs significantly from the generally understood use of the term

  6. Care in using expressions about performance

    Examples: “More than XX members accomplished!” “Number one in XXX!” or “Winner of the XXX Award!”
    For example, if the ad says “more than XX members accomplished!” the ad will not be displayed if membership has not reached the stated number

  7. Care in using comparative advertising

    Requires clarity and truthfulness

Representations otherwise deemed inappropriate by the Company based on relevant laws and regulations or the Company's acceptability standards

* However, the advertiser is solely responsible for the content of the advertising, and the determination made by the Company is not a guarantee of its legality or fitness.

Guideline 11. Conditions for display of survey ads

When an ad is for a survey, it will be prohibited under the following circumstances.

Examples:

  • An ad will be prohibited if the survey uses methods in violation of relevant laws and regulations
  • An ad will be prohibited if it directs, links, or is tied to an offer outside of the survey
  • An ad will be prohibited if promotes or offers another products or services besides the survey to the user
  • An ad will be prohibited if the purpose of the ad is to share personal information obtained through the survey with a third party
  • An ad will be rejected for display if it contains representations otherwise deemed inappropriate by the Company based on relevant laws and regulations or the Company's acceptability standards

* However, the advertiser is solely responsible for the content of the advertising, and the determination made by the Company is not a guarantee of its legality or fitness.

Guideline 12. Prohibited uses of acquired data and prohibited acquisition of data

The direct or indirect use of any data obtained through ads served on the GREE platform (including but not limited to delivery logic, analysis results, statistics, effects, comparison, trends, and assessments) without the permission of the Company is prohibited.

Examples:

  • The use of user information or data obtained without providing clear notice and/or without the consent of the user is prohibited
  • The use of user information or data collected in excess of that necessary for providing the product or service is prohibited
  • The use of personal information of a child under the age of 14 years without the consent of the child's legal guardian (parents, etc.) is prohibited
  • The use of user information or data obtained or acquired by false or other unlawful means is prohibited
  • The direct or indirect transfer of data to other ad networks, ad marketplaces, or data brokers is prohibited
  • The use of advertisements that automatically opt-in a user to allow for the user's information to be shared with third parties is prohibited

Advertising that uses any information collection software code or that places cookies or other information collection devices on the browsers of uses of the Company's platform is prohibited unless expressly approved by the Company and only used with the express consent of the user.

Guideline 13. Cancellations

Cancellations will not be permitted after the Company has confirmed acceptance of an application to display an ad. Please be aware that if you withdraw the ad after the Company has confirmed acceptance, you will still be billed for the entire amount.

Guideline 14. Amendments & changes

In accordance with the establishment, amendment or repeal of laws or regulations or due to various other factors, the Company may amend or change the Guidelines without advertisers' advance consent. The Company will notify advertisers of such changes, using a method of its designation, at the time of the changes.

Additional provisions

The Guidelines are effective February 28, 2013.

Change history

  • GREE Creative Guidelines implemented February 28, 2013