Minecraft post-purchase ownership rights changes: Difference between revisions
RuefulSeraph (talk | contribs) m Added categories. Added useful template calls. Moved inline citations to after punctuation as is standard |
'Number of affected users' citations updated -still some missing sources |
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===2014- Ownership in EULA After Microsoft acquired Mojang Studios=== | ===2014- Ownership in EULA After Microsoft acquired Mojang Studios=== | ||
====2015-10-27 The subject of the transaction changes from "bought the game" to "have been granted a license to play the game"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-10-27 |title=account.mojang.com/documents/minecraft_eula |url=https://account.mojang.com/documents/minecraft_eula |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151027155030/https://account.mojang.com/documents/minecraft_eula |archive-date=2015-10-27 |website=account.mojang.com}}</ref>==== | ====2015-10-27 The subject of the transaction changes from "bought the game" to "have been granted a license to play the game"<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |date=2015-10-27 |title=account.mojang.com/documents/minecraft_eula |url=https://account.mojang.com/documents/minecraft_eula |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151027155030/https://account.mojang.com/documents/minecraft_eula |archive-date=2015-10-27 |website=account.mojang.com}}</ref>==== | ||
<blockquote>USING OUR GAME | <blockquote>USING OUR GAME | ||
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Buyers who failed to migrate, but kept their launcher up to date, lost their access to the software.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-08 |title=I DIDN’T Migrate my Minecraft Account - Here’s What Happened |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUFDRAEducI |url-status=live |website=youtube.com}}</ref> | Buyers who failed to migrate, but kept their launcher up to date, lost their access to the software.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-08 |title=I DIDN’T Migrate my Minecraft Account - Here’s What Happened |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUFDRAEducI |url-status=live |website=youtube.com}}</ref> | ||
Microsoft Services Agreement also included in minecrafts’ EULA:<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-07-16 |title=Minecraft Community Standards |url=https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/community-standards |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716182927/https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/community-standards |archive-date=2019-07-16 |website=minecraft.net}}</ref> | Microsoft Services Agreement also included in minecrafts’ EULA:<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |date=2019-07-16 |title=Minecraft Community Standards |url=https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/community-standards |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716182927/https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/community-standards |archive-date=2019-07-16 |website=minecraft.net}}</ref> | ||
<blockquote>b. The software is licensed, not sold, and Microsoft reserves all rights to the software not expressly granted by Microsoft, whether by implication, estoppel, or otherwise.</blockquote><blockquote>The application is licensed, not sold. This agreement only gives you some rights to use the application. If Microsoft disables the ability to use the applications on your devices pursuant to your agreement with Microsoft, any associated license rights will terminate.</blockquote> | <blockquote>b. The software is licensed, not sold, and Microsoft reserves all rights to the software not expressly granted by Microsoft, whether by implication, estoppel, or otherwise.</blockquote><blockquote>The application is licensed, not sold. This agreement only gives you some rights to use the application. If Microsoft disables the ability to use the applications on your devices pursuant to your agreement with Microsoft, any associated license rights will terminate.</blockquote> | ||
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==Numbers of affected users== | ==Numbers of affected users== | ||
===Estimated minimum number of Minecraft Java edition copies sold before ownership changes in the TOU/EULA | ===Estimated minimum number of Minecraft Java edition copies sold before ownership changes in the TOU/EULA=== | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
|+ | |+ | ||
!Date of change | !Date of change | ||
!Copies sold | !Copies sold | ||
!Version | !Version<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-19 |title=minecraft.wiki Java Edition version history |url=https://minecraft.wiki/w/Java_Edition_version_history/Development_versions |url-status=live |website=minecraft.wiki}}</ref> | ||
!TOU/EULA change | !TOU/EULA change | ||
!Ref. | |||
|- | |- | ||
|2012-08 | |2012-08 | ||
|~ | |~ 6.7 million | ||
| | |1.5 | ||
|while the product page states: “Once you've bought the game, it's yours. No DRM” | |while the product page states: “Once you've bought the game, it's yours. No DRM” | ||
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-08-18 |title=minecraft.net/store/game |url=http://www.minecraft.net/store/game |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120818051209/http://www.minecraft.net/store/game |archive-date=2012-08-18 |website=minecraft.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-07-24 |title=minecraft.net/stats |url=http://www.minecraft.net/stats |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120724055823/http://www.minecraft.net/stats |archive-date=2012-07-24 |website=www.minecraft.net}}</ref> | |||
|- | |- | ||
|2013-06 | |2013-06 | ||
|~ 10.2 million | |~ 10.2 million | ||
|1.6 | |||
|before launcher software first includes DRM | |||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
|2013-12 | |2013-12 | ||
|~ 13 million | |~ 13 million | ||
| | |1.7.4 | ||
|while early customers were promised a full version, and before first mention of permission revocation right of the publisher | |while early customers were promised a full version, and before first mention of permission revocation right of the publisher | ||
|<ref name=":8" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-12-24 |title=minecraft.net/stats |url=https://minecraft.net/stats |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224103923/https://minecraft.net/stats |archive-date=2013-12-24 |website=minecraft.net}}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|2014-09 | |||
|~ 16 million | |||
|1.8 | |||
|before Microsoft becomes the owner of Mojang<ref name=":9" /> | |||
|<ref name=":9" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-09-07 |title=minecraft.net/stats |url=https://minecraft.net/stats |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907055642/https://minecraft.net/stats |archive-date=2014-09-07 |website=minecraft.net}}</ref> | |||
|- | |- | ||
|2015-10 | |2015-10 | ||
|~ | |~ 21 million | ||
| | |1.8.8 | ||
|before the subject of the transaction changes from "bought the game" to "have been granted a license to play the game" | |before the subject of the transaction changes from "bought the game" to "have been granted a license to play the game" | ||
|<ref name=":10" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-11-03 |title=minecraft.net/stats |url=https://minecraft.net/stats |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151103161537/https://minecraft.net/stats |archive-date=2015-11-03 |website=minecraft.net}}</ref> | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | |2019-07 | ||
|~ | |~ 31 million | ||
|1.14 | |||
| | |||
|before EULA includes Microsoft Services Agreement | |before EULA includes Microsoft Services Agreement | ||
|<ref name=":11" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-07-18 |title=www.minecraft.net/en-us/store/ |url=https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/store/ |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190718114810/https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/store/ |archive-date=2019-07-18 |website=minecraft.net}}</ref> | |||
|} | |} | ||
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==See also== | ==See also== | ||
* Block of access by mandatory account migration - [[Minecraft account migration]] | *Block of access by mandatory account migration - [[Minecraft account migration]] | ||
* [[Minecraft enforceing undisclosed server EULA terms|Hidden rules regarding private servers]] - [[Shutting down of community-run Minecraft servers by Mojang]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-03 |title=Suing Minecraft Because They Broke The Law & Pissed Me Off |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5RvoPQZQeM |url-status=live |website=youtube.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-16 |title=We’re Suing Minecraft in a Class Action Lawsuit |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_UF_4gZclI |url-status=live |website=youtube.com}}</ref> | *[[Minecraft enforceing undisclosed server EULA terms|Hidden rules regarding private servers]] - [[Shutting down of community-run Minecraft servers by Mojang]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-03 |title=Suing Minecraft Because They Broke The Law & Pissed Me Off |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5RvoPQZQeM |url-status=live |website=youtube.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-16 |title=We’re Suing Minecraft in a Class Action Lawsuit |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_UF_4gZclI |url-status=live |website=youtube.com}}</ref> | ||
* Chat moderation enforcement on private servers and single player mode resulting in unexpected loss of license | *Chat moderation enforcement on private servers and single player mode resulting in unexpected loss of license | ||
* DRM spiked launcher updates - [[Minecraft Beta pre-1.8's lack of authentication]] | *DRM spiked launcher updates - [[Minecraft Beta pre-1.8's lack of authentication]] | ||
* [[Post-purchase EULA modification|Post-purchase retroactive EULA modofication]] | *[[Post-purchase EULA modification|Post-purchase retroactive EULA modofication]] | ||
* [[:Category:Feature Ransom|Feature ransom]] | *[[:Category:Feature Ransom|Feature ransom]] | ||
* [[Forced arbitration]] | *[[Forced arbitration]] | ||
* [[:Category:License Laundering|License laundering]] - [[License euthanasia]] | *[[:Category:License Laundering|License laundering]] - [[License euthanasia]] | ||
* [[:Category:Rights Stripping|Rights Stripping]] | *[[:Category:Rights Stripping|Rights Stripping]] | ||
* [[False advertising|False advertisement]] | *[[False advertising|False advertisement]] | ||
* Mass personal information acquisition by tech-giant from indie developer with 100 million active users | *Mass personal information acquisition by tech-giant from indie developer with 100 million active users | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||