Superhive Off-site Services Policy
To help maintain a smooth, secure experience for customers, products on Superhive must not rely on third-party services or assets.
Definitions and Examples
For the purposes of this policy, “third-party services or assets” are any service, web API, or provider that requires an account other than the customer’s Superhive account. Products on Superhive that rely on off-site services and assets are referred to as Tagged Products.
Based on this policy, the following examples would be prohibited products:
- Asset libraries not hosted on Superhive servers
- Add-ons that make use of external services (e.g., AI tools, renderfarms, web-based image generators)
- License servers
- Telemetry (e.g., “phoning home”) without explicit user consent
It should be noted that the preceding list of examples is not exhaustive.
Exceptions
Under certain circumstances, Superhive will permit exceptions to this policy. Exceptions are granted on a case-by-case basis and products seeking an exception (Excepted Products) must meet the following minimum criteria:
- No hidden costs. The product page on Superhive must clearly disclose any additional payments from the customer that may be requested after they’ve made their purchase on Superhive.
- Public disclosure. The product page on Superhive must clearly state that the product uses an off-site service (e.g. “This add-on connects to an external image library ([NAME OF SERVICE]) for textures. No data is sent without user input.”)
- Full asset rights. For off-site assets, Creators must own or have a documented license to distribute all assets in the referenced library.
In addition, the product Creator must also agree to waive Superhive of any liability associated with the product or the connecting service by signing an off-site services exception agreement.
Exceptions can be requested by contacting the Superhive review crew at [email protected]. Be sure to include documentation for licensing, usage details, and a customer experience walkthrough.
A note on Python modules
Many Blender add-ons have mechanisms to download and install additional Python modules that are not bundled with Blender’s integrated Python interpreter. Typically these modules are pulled from PyPI using the pip installer. PyPI fits the definition of an off-site service. So add-ons that make use of modules from PyPI must publicly disclose this fact on their product pages.
That said, new add-ons on Superhive should use Blender’s Extension framework. The Extension framework provides a mechanism for add-ons to bundle Python modules as wheels, negating the need to connect to an external repository like PyPI. Creators are strongly encouraged to update their add-ons to use this framework.
Enforcement
Products found to violate this policy will be unpublished while the product Creator is contacted about the violation. The product will be re-listed after it’s updated to comply with this policy. If the product can not be updated to comply with this policy, its listing will be removed.
Repeated violations or failure to respond may result in account restrictions or removal from the marketplace.
Rationale
Superhive customers expect to be able to enjoy the products they buy immediately after purchasing them. Products that require additional steps after purchase (such as creating a separate account or making an additional purchase) deteriorate the customer experience.
Furthermore, Superhive is a curated marketplace. Each new product from a new Creator is reviewed by our staff for quality, policy compliance, and legal compliance.
Off-site services are subject to updates that can not be reviewed, which can lead to a reduction of quality on the market while also exposing Superhive to legal liabilities.
Have questions? For questions or help determining if your product complies with this policy, [contact support].