Sources & Attribution

Licensed sources. Documented attribution. Verifiable chain of rights.

Sources & Attribution

Last updated: May 2026

This page describes the sources we use for the games on ASK.ME and the attribution standards that ensure developers and rights-holders are credited as their licensing terms require. The principle: every game on the Site has a verifiable license trail; attribution requirements are honored where they exist; takedown requests are processed promptly.

1. Game distribution networks (primary sources)

Most games on ASK.ME come through established HTML5 game distribution networks that handle the licensing relationships with individual developers and provide curated catalogs to publisher sites like ours.

Famobi

Famobi (famobi.com) is a Germany-headquartered HTML5 game distributor founded in 2014. Famobi licenses high-quality casual games across a broad category mix and provides them to publisher sites under standard distribution agreements. Most Famobi games include developer-credit requirements that we honor on the catalog page.

GameDistribution

GameDistribution (gamedistribution.com), part of the AzerionM-related distribution network, offers thousands of HTML5 titles. The platform handles licensing centrally; games come with embedded usage permissions for the publisher.

GameMonetize

GameMonetize (gamemonetize.com) provides HTML5 games with monetization-focused distribution arrangements. License terms are documented at the platform level.

CrazyGames partner network

Where games from the CrazyGames partner network are licensed for redistribution to third-party publishers, we participate in the framework with the appropriate distribution agreement.

Direct developer relationships

For some games, we have direct relationships with the developer or publisher rather than going through a distribution network. These arrangements vary in detail but always include explicit licensing for embedding on commercial sites and any required attribution terms.

Open-source HTML5 game projects

Some games are sourced from open-source projects released under permissive licenses (Creative Commons, MIT, GPL where compatible). The license terms determine attribution requirements and any restrictions on commercial use.

2. What we do not source from

  • Random “free games” feeds where the licensing chain is unclear or the source has a history of distributing unauthorized content.
  • Aggregator-of-aggregator sites that may have downstream licensing problems.
  • Game ROMs or emulator-based games of console / arcade titles — even where playable in browser, these typically lack redistribution licensing.
  • Cracked or modified versions of commercial games.
  • Direct copies of trademarked properties (Mario clones, Pokémon clones, Disney character games) where the developer has not licensed the IP.
  • Sites that distribute games without the developers’ authorization.

3. Attribution standards

Where the licensing terms include attribution requirements, the requirements are honored:

  • Developer credits appear on the game’s catalog page.
  • Publisher credits (where the developer’s publisher requires separate credit) appear on the game’s catalog page.
  • Distribution-network credits appear in the Site’s general attribution footer where the distribution agreement requires it.
  • Required URLs back to the developer’s home page are honored where the licensing terms specify.

Where the license is silent on attribution, we still typically include developer credits because it’s the right thing to do. Visibility of the developer name supports the developer’s brand and helps players find more games from creators they enjoy.

4. Trademark restraint

Where games licensed to us reference real-world trademarks (sports teams, real-world brands, licensed franchises), the trademark licensing is the developer’s responsibility — we trust the distributor’s certification that the game’s underlying licensing is in order. ASK.ME does not separately negotiate trademark licenses for games we host.

In our own site copy, category names, and marketing material, we do not use third-party trademarks (Pokémon, Mario, Sonic, Disney, etc.) as if they were ours. Our category structure uses generic descriptive names (Action, Adventure, Puzzle, Hypercasual) rather than trademarked-property names.

5. Takedown procedure

Developers, publishers, and IP holders who see one of their games on the Site without authorization can request removal via the DMCA procedure (or equivalent under EU and Italian copyright law). The process:

  • Submit a takedown notice to dmca [at] askme [punto] rest with the required elements (see DMCA page).
  • Valid notices are reviewed within 3 business days.
  • Games are typically removed within that timeframe pending review.
  • For licensing disputes that turn out to be misunderstandings (the developer authorized the distributor we sourced from but didn’t realize the distribution chain reached us), the resolution is usually fast and amicable.

6. License-chain verification

For each game added to the catalog, we verify:

  • The distribution agreement permits embedding on commercial sites.
  • Required attribution is identified and noted.
  • Geographic restrictions (if any) are recorded.
  • Required ad-revenue-share arrangements (if any) are in place.
  • The game’s underlying assets (music, fonts, character art) are licensed appropriately by the developer — we trust the distributor’s certification but watch for obvious red flags.

If the licensing chain has gaps, the game is not added.

7. What this attribution framework does not guarantee

  • It does not eliminate the risk that a developer has misrepresented their licensing to the distributor we sourced from. We rely on the takedown framework to correct issues that surface.
  • It does not catch every trademark issue at the time of addition. Where a game contains references to trademarked properties that the developer has not licensed, the rights-holder’s takedown notice is the standard correction path.
  • It does not provide academic-citation-level traceability for every individual asset within every game. The granularity is at the game level, not the asset level.

8. How to verify a specific game’s attribution

Each game’s catalog page includes the developer credit where the licensing terms include it. If you have a specific question about a game’s licensing — or you are a developer / publisher who notices missing or incorrect attribution — email info [at] askme [punto] rest with the game URL and the question.

Related pages: How We Curate Games · Content Standards · DMCA · Copyright Notice · Contact Us