Destiny Wiki:Leak Policy

This page is official Destiny Wiki policy.

Remember, it is your responsibility as a user of the wiki to read, understand, and follow Destiny Wiki policies. When in doubt, ask an Administrator!

Due to the legally sensitive and immoral nature of leaked information, Destiny Wiki strictly prohibits the use, uploading, spread, or addition of leaked material on this site and adheres to strict policies which prohibit the addition of any leaked material to the wiki. This includes leaked information even if widely reported by conventional or video game news media.

Users who add leaked information of any form onto this wiki will be held accountable, resulting in those users being subject to any and all penalties afforded to Destiny Wiki's administrators. Users are advised to read and understand all aspects of this policy before proceeding to add information of upcoming material.

What Constitutes a Leak?

A leak is defined as the intentional, unsanctioned release of premature, confidential, proprietary, or otherwise sensitive or secret information that would otherwise be restricted to employees of Bungie and/or Activision. Leaks arise when information is either released to the public in violation of a confidentiality agreement (such as a non-disclosure agreement between an employer and employee or Bungie/Activision and a third-party vendor) or accessed and released without authorization by an outside person, such as in the circumstances of hacking or theft.

Leaked information includes, but is not limited to, the unanticipated and non-permitted release of any of following:

• Images, audio, or video of developmental gameplay.
• Images or video of concept art.
• Source code.
• Text, images, audio, or video of plot, storyline, dialogue, or other elemental content.
• Developmental character, environment, or object models.

What Is Prohibited on This Wiki in the Event of a Leak?

In the event of a leak, editors are not to upload the leaked material itself or any media, articles, text, or other content related to the leak. Additionally, authors should not create new articles or edit existing articles to reflect information gained from the leak. Any information or media in violation of this policy found to have been added to the wiki will be immediately removed from the wiki, and the author may be subjected to the penalties enumerated below.

When Is Leaked Information Permitted?

Some leaked information is anticipated and permitted by the developers and publishers of a game in order to increase publicity for a pending release. When such releases are later shown to be intentional for marketing purposes, they will not be considered leaks.

Additionally, some information or media may be released to the public without the consent of Bungie or Activision but not in violation of any law or agreement. For example, the Bungie-Activision Contract was unsealed and released to the public as the result of a court order. Such instances are rare and should be reviewed by an administrator before posting, but in these instances this information or media will not be considered a "leak" under Destiny Wiki policy.

Finally, some leaks may be prohibited by this Leak Policy at first, but their content may later become moot, irrelevant, or officially revealed by Bungie or Activision. For example, leaked plot elements and concept art are usually revealed officially at a later time. Once officially revealed or embraced by Bungie and/or Activision, the information contained in leaks is no longer prohibited on Destiny Wiki.

Regardless, whenever information is released to the public without the consent or sanction of Bungie or Activision, editors should refrain from adding information from apparent leaks until (1) acknowledged or permitted by Bungie or Activision; and (2) such content is reviewed and approved for Destiny Wiki by an administrator.

Why Are Leaks Not Permitted?

Leaked information lacks credibility and is unreliable. Information that is leaked but not confirmed by the developer and publisher may later be cut, changed, or otherwise become false. Destiny Wiki's mission is to be the most reliable and credible information source about the Destiny universe, and allowing leaked information on the site could undermine this goal.

Leaked information and media are released without the legal consent of the developers and publishers of the game. In many circumstances, leaks are the result of violations of local and federal laws, including contract law, copyright law, and the U.S. Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

Destiny Wiki's administrators also believe that participating in the spread of leaked information is highly immoral, as it harms the marketing cycle and plans of video game developers and publishers as well as the attitude of excitement and anticipation experienced by many fans. By removing this anticipation through the spread of leaked information, video games can lose some of their entertainment value in the eyes of fans and, therefore, result in financial or reputable harm to the hardworking developers and designers who make their living creating games.

Destiny Wiki refuses to participate in either the harm of the developers and publishers whose work we admire or the potential harming of our users' gaming experiences. In addition, although Destiny Wiki and its owners, administrators, editors, and users expressly disclaim any liability for any information posted on Destiny Wiki, we also wish to avoid becoming involved in, associated with, or responsible for any legal dispute which may arise from leaks. Therefore, leaked information in any form is not permitted on the site.

Penalty for Uploading or Posting Leaked Information

If any leaked material, media, or information is added or uploaded to the wiki, the material will immediately be deleted or reverted and the author subjected to an instant 24 hour block from the wiki in order to prevent the risk of further leaked material being added. This block may be extended based on the severity or intentional nature of the leak. Repetitive additions of leaked material to the wiki or additions considered to be made with the detrimental intent are likely to result in longer block periods or a permanent exclusion from the wiki.