Minecraft post-purchase ownership rights changes: Difference between revisions
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The user side of legal contract to use Minecraft at the 2011 full release is called ''“Terms of use” (TOU)'',<ref name=":0" /> later ''“End-user license agreement” (EULA)'',<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2025-08-18 |title=Minecraft EULA |url=https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/eula |url-status=live |website=minecraft.net}}</ref> and the changes it went through since 2011, can imply most of the existing [[:Category:Anti-Consumer Practices|anti-consumer practices]], not just consumer ownership rights erosion. | The user side of legal contract to use Minecraft at the 2011 full release is called ''“Terms of use” (TOU)'',<ref name=":0" /> later ''“End-user license agreement” (EULA)'',<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2025-08-18 |title=Minecraft EULA |url=https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/eula |url-status=live |website=minecraft.net}}</ref> and the changes it went through since 2011, can imply most of the existing [[:Category:Anti-Consumer Practices|anti-consumer practices]], not just consumer ownership rights erosion. | ||
Note: this article focuses on the original Minecraft (Java Edition) | Note: this article focuses on the original Minecraft (Java Edition). | ||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
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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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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" /> | ||
===Product becomes a | ===Product becomes a license=== | ||
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 | 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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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 --> | 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 | |+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 Minecraft websites | ||
!Date of change | !Date of change | ||
!Copies sold | !Copies sold | ||
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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]] | |||