While I personally have done it in my own fic, I think modifying the terms of service to prohibit the referencing of real-world business establishments should be under consideration. There's just way too much gray area with the terms of service in terms of commercial promotion otherwise in my opinion.
Our non-commercialization policy is primarily aimed at non-fictional content on the site (authors' notes, comments, etc.). Placing a blanket restriction on all commercial references in fiction would go against our principle of maximum inclusiveness of fanwork content, and unduly penalize many users who are neither intentionally nor inadvertently promoting anything commercial when sharing their fictional stories. However, if we conclude that someone is deliberately trying to circumvent our rules by having fictional characters discuss commercial activities, then the fanwork may be deemed commercial in nature and unacceptable to post on AO3.
Comment on TOS Spotlight: Commercial Promotion
PokePotter1 Sun 29 Jun 2025 07:17AM UTC
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AO3_Policy_and_Abuse (Official) Tue 01 Jul 2025 04:27AM UTC
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