You are not allowed to share, copy, sell, or make money from any Minecraft game software, content, updates, add-ons, merchandise, or audio-visual material without explicit permission from Mojang and Microsoft.
This analysis describes what Minecraft's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
This clause establishes the licensor's control over derivative distribution channels and commercial exploitation of the licensed software and related content. It defines the scope of prohibited activities broadly to encompass direct distribution, monetization, and indirect access mechanisms, thereby reserving commercial and distribution rights to the licensor.
Interpretive note: The phrase 'anything else we've made' and the inclusion of future games introduce definitional scope uncertainty; applicable law in some jurisdictions may limit the enforceability of certain distribution restrictions on lawfully purchased software.
Users who share game files, create unofficial merchandise, monetize gameplay content beyond what Usage Guidelines permit, or redistribute add-ons may be in breach of this provision, which the agreement states could result in account suspension or permanent banning.
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engage in any of the foregoing in connection with the use, creation, development, modification, prompting, fine-tuning, training, testing, benchmarking or validation of any machine learning tool, model, system, algorithm, product or other technology.
You agree not to post, upload, publish, submit or transmit any content that: (i) infringes, misappropriates or violates a third party's patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret, moral rights or other intellectual property rights, or rights of publicity or privacy; (ii) violates, or encourages any ...
You may not use our Services for any illegal purpose or in violation of any laws or regulations. You may not use the Services to send money to sanctioned countries or individuals on government watchlists. You may not use the Services for gambling, illegal drugs, weapons, or any other prohibited acti...
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"However, you must not distribute anything we've made unless we specifically agree to it. By "distribute anything we've made" what we mean is: give copies of our game software or content to anyone else; make commercial use of anything we've made; try to make money from anything we've made; or let other people get access to anything we've made in a way that is unfair or unreasonable. And so that we are crystal clear, "the game" or "what we have made" includes, but is not limited to, the Services, plus any other games we might publish in the future. It also includes updates, patches, downloadable or Marketplace content, add-ons, or modified versions of a game, part of those things, merchandise, audio-visual content, or anything else we've made.— Excerpt from Minecraft's Minecraft End User License Agreement
1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision asserts intellectual property rights under copyright law applicable in the US, EU, and internationally. Enforcement authority rests with Mojang AB and Microsoft Corporation through civil intellectual property litigation; the FTC may have relevance if deceptive commercial practices involving Minecraft branding are involved. The breadth of the definition of covered material, including future games, could be subject to challenge in jurisdictions where overly broad IP restrictions on lawfully purchased software face limitations under software exhaustion or first sale doctrines. 2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The provision is broadly drafted and the phrase "anything else we've made" introduces definitional ambiguity. For commercial entities or creators operating adjacent to Minecraft (merchandise, YouTube monetization, server hosting), the scope of permitted use depends substantially on the separately maintained Minecraft Usage Guidelines, which the EULA states may be withdrawn at any time without notice. 3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU users benefit from software directive protections that may limit the enforceability of certain distribution restrictions on lawfully purchased software. US users should note that first sale doctrine and fair use may create exceptions not reflected in the EULA language. Content creators monetizing gameplay videos operate under a separate Usage Guidelines framework that is not reproduced in this EULA. 4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Organizations licensing Minecraft for commercial, educational, or event use should obtain specific written permission from Mojang before any commercial deployment. The EULA's statement that Usage Guidelines permissions may be withdrawn without notice means commercial arrangements built on those permissions carry ongoing contractual risk that should be acknowledged in vendor or event agreements. 5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Legal teams should map all organizational uses of Minecraft content against both this provision and the current version of the Minecraft Usage Guidelines, noting that the Guidelines are subject to change without notice. Any commercial use case should be documented with explicit written authorization from Mojang or Microsoft to avoid reliance on terminable permissions.
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This clause establishes the licensor's control over derivative distribution channels and commercial exploitation of the licensed software and related content. It defines the scope of prohibited activities broadly to encompass direct distribution, monetization, and indirect access mechanisms, thereby reserving commercial and distribution rights to the licensor.
Users who share game files, create unofficial merchandise, monetize gameplay content beyond what Usage Guidelines permit, or redistribute add-ons may be in breach of this provision, which the agreement states could result in account suspension or permanent banning.
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