Minecraft post-purchase ownership rights changes: Difference between revisions
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Markus Persson statement |
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You have bought the game so you can use it, yourself, on your computer.</blockquote>Publisher can change the TOU | You have bought the game so you can use it, yourself, on your computer.</blockquote>Publisher can change the TOU | ||
<blockquote>We reserve the right to change this agreement at any time with or without notice, with immediate and/or retroactive effect. </blockquote> | <blockquote>We reserve the right to change this agreement at any time with or without notice, with immediate and/or retroactive effect. </blockquote>2012-01-12 Statement by Markus Persson aka Notch, founder of Mojang:<blockquote>Just pirate it. If you still like it when you can afford it in the future, buy it then. Also don't forget to feel bad. ;) <ref>{{Cite web |title=twitter.com/notch/status |url=https://x.com/notch/status/157261795139125248 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131025133021/https://twitter.com/notch/status/157261795139125248 |archive-date=2013-10-25 |website=twitter.com}}</ref></blockquote> | ||
==Customer ownership changes before Microsoft== | ==Customer ownership changes before Microsoft== | ||
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===Account.mojang.com migration=== | ===Account.mojang.com migration=== | ||
====2012-10-11 The new account.mojang.com site arrives with a set of its own terms, named EULA<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-06-29 |title=Mojang Terms and Conditions |url=https://account.mojang.com/terms |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011213958/https://account.mojang.com/terms |archive-date=2012-10-11 |website=account.mojang.com}}</ref> | ====Start of migration==== | ||
2012-10-11 The new account.mojang.com site arrives with a set of its own terms, named EULA<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-06-29 |title=Mojang Terms and Conditions |url=https://account.mojang.com/terms |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011213958/https://account.mojang.com/terms |archive-date=2012-10-11 |website=account.mojang.com}}</ref> | |||
These contain parts of the older TOU, but new parts worded for the new accounts and the new website appear. The minectaft.net/terms page with the TOU is also available from the store page until 2013-12-04.<ref name=":8" /><blockquote>These terms and conditions incorporates the terms of use for the mojang.com webite, our end user license agreement, our brand and asset usage guidelines, and our privacy policy.</blockquote> | These contain parts of the older TOU, but new parts worded for the new accounts and the new website appear. The minectaft.net/terms page with the TOU is also available from the store page until 2013-12-04.<ref name=":8" /><blockquote>These terms and conditions incorporates the terms of use for the mojang.com webite, our end user license agreement, our brand and asset usage guidelines, and our privacy policy.</blockquote> | ||
====2013-12-12 The TOU fully merges into the EULA of account.mojang.com with the end of minecraft.net/terms<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |date=2013-12-04 |title=Minecraft Terms of Use |url=https://minecraft.net/terms |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204204127/https://minecraft.net/terms |archive-date=2013-12-04 |website=minecraft.net}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |date=2013-01-13 |title=Mojang Terms and Conditions |url=https://account.mojang.com/terms |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130827123036/https://account.mojang.com/terms#eula |archive-date=2013-08-27 |website=account.mojang.com}}</ref> | ====End of migration==== | ||
2013-12-12 The TOU fully merges into the EULA of account.mojang.com with the end of minecraft.net/terms<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |date=2013-12-04 |title=Minecraft Terms of Use |url=https://minecraft.net/terms |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204204127/https://minecraft.net/terms |archive-date=2013-12-04 |website=minecraft.net}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |date=2013-01-13 |title=Mojang Terms and Conditions |url=https://account.mojang.com/terms |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130827123036/https://account.mojang.com/terms#eula |archive-date=2013-08-27 |website=account.mojang.com}}</ref> | |||
Publisher can revoke permission to use the software<blockquote>The permission we give you to use and play our Game can be revoked if you break the terms of this EULA. </blockquote>Publisher is the owner of the software<blockquote>OWNERSHIP OF OUR GAME AND OTHER THINGS | Publisher can revoke permission to use the software<blockquote>The permission we give you to use and play our Game can be revoked if you break the terms of this EULA. </blockquote>Publisher is the owner of the software<blockquote>OWNERSHIP OF OUR GAME AND OTHER THINGS | ||
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2014-2025 Customer Ownership changes after Microsoft acquired Mojang Studios. 2014-09<ref name=":9" /> | 2014-2025 Customer Ownership changes after Microsoft acquired Mojang Studios. 2014-09<ref name=":9" /> | ||
===2015-10-27 The subject of the transaction changes from "bought the game" to "have been granted a license to | ===Product becomes a license=== | ||
<blockquote>USING OUR GAME | 2015-10-27 The subject of the transaction changes from "bought the game" to "have been granted a license to 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 | ||
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You have been granted a license to the Game so you can play and use it, yourself, on your devices.</blockquote> | You have been granted a license to the Game so you can play and use it, yourself, on your devices.</blockquote> | ||
===2020-10 - 2022-08 Mandatory [[Minecraft account migration|account migration]] from Mojang account to Microsoft account with new EULA<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-07-15 |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/20190715120420/https://account.mojang.com/documents/minecraft_eula |archive-date=2019-07-15 |website=account.mojang.com}}</ref> | ===Microsoft account migration=== | ||
2020-10 - 2022-08 Mandatory [[Minecraft account migration|account migration]] from Mojang account to Microsoft account with new EULA<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-07-15 |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/20190715120420/https://account.mojang.com/documents/minecraft_eula |archive-date=2019-07-15 |website=account.mojang.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> | 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> | ||
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<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> | ||
===2023-08-02 Removed the information about the option of users avoiding EULA changes by not accepting updates<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-02 |title=minecraft.net/en-us/eula |url=https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/eula |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230802210823/https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/eula |archive-date=2023-08-02 |website=minecraft.net}}</ref> | ===Removed EULA-change avoidance=== | ||
<blockquote>We may change this EULA from time to time, if we have reason to, such as changes to our games, our practices, or our legal obligation. But those changes will be effective only to the extent that they can legally apply. In that case we'll inform you of the change before it takes effect, either by posting a notice on our website or by other reasonable means. We're not going to be unfair about this though - but sometimes the law changes or someone does something that affects other users of the game and we therefore need to put a lid on it.</blockquote> | 2023-08-02 Removed the information about the option of users avoiding EULA changes by not accepting updates<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-02 |title=minecraft.net/en-us/eula |url=https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/eula |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230802210823/https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/eula |archive-date=2023-08-02 |website=minecraft.net}}</ref><blockquote>We may change this EULA from time to time, if we have reason to, such as changes to our games, our practices, or our legal obligation. But those changes will be effective only to the extent that they can legally apply. In that case we'll inform you of the change before it takes effect, either by posting a notice on our website or by other reasonable means. We're not going to be unfair about this though - but sometimes the law changes or someone does something that affects other users of the game and we therefore need to put a lid on it.</blockquote> | ||
==Numbers of affected users== | ==Numbers of affected users== | ||
Estimated minimum number of Minecraft Java edition copies sold before ownership changes in the TOU/EULA<!-- ver. version history / launcher history unfound. proof for date of DRM inclusion missing --> | |||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
|+Version history from minecraft.wiki.<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> Date specific 'Terms' and 'Number of Java copies sold' from archived Mincrafts websites | |+Version history from minecraft.wiki.<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> Date specific 'Terms' and 'Number of Java copies sold' from archived Mincrafts websites | ||
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==References== | ==References== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
[[Category:Microsoft]] | [[Category:Microsoft]] | ||
[[Category:Minecraft]] | [[Category:Minecraft]] | ||
[[Category:Mojang]] | [[Category:Mojang]] | ||
[[Category:End-user license agreements]] | |||