Which regulatory agencies enforce this type of clause?

{'agency': 'FTC', 'reason': 'Unauthorized Minecraft merchandise sold with implied licensing misrepresentations may constitute deceptive practices under FTC Act Section 5.', 'complaint_url': 'https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/'}

What is the severity of this clause?

ConductAtlas classifies this Fan Art and Merchandise Guidelines clause as medium severity. Severity reflects the magnitude of rights affected, the breadth of users impacted, and the degree of discretion the platform retains.

Fan Art and Merchandise Guidelines — Minecraft

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What it is

You can make Minecraft fan art for personal use and share it for free, but you cannot sell merchandise — physical or digital — featuring Minecraft's characters or brand without Mojang's explicit approval.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Fans selling Minecraft-themed merchandise without a formal license from Mojang risk cease-and-desist actions or IP infringement claims, even for small-scale commercial activity on third-party platforms.

Cross-platform context

See how other platforms handle Fan Art and Merchandise Guidelines and similar clauses.

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Why it matters (compliance & risk perspective)

Many fans and small creators sell fan-made Minecraft merchandise on platforms like Redbubble or Etsy; this provision renders such commercial activity unauthorized and potentially subject to IP enforcement.

View original clause language

You may create fan art and other fan creations based on Minecraft, but you cannot sell physical or digital merchandise that uses our IP without our permission. Fan creations must be non-commercial.

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

1) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision engages 17 U.S.C. (Copyright Act) and 15 U.S.C. §1051 et seq. (Lanham Act/trademark law) regarding unauthorized commercial use of IP. EU trademark and copyright law provides equivalent protections. Platform liability under 17 U.S.C. §512 (DMCA safe harbor) is relevant for marketplaces hosting such merchandise. 2)

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Applicable agencies

FTC

Unauthorized Minecraft merchandise sold with implied licensing misrepresentations may constitute deceptive practices under FTC Act Section 5.
File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information

Document

Minecraft Usage Guidelines

Entity

Minecraft

Document last updated

April 29, 2026

Tracking information

First tracked

April 18, 2026

Last verified

April 18, 2026

Record ID

CA-P-002835

Document ID

CA-D-00119

Evidence Provenance

Source URL

https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/usage-guidelines

Wayback Machine

View archived versions →

SHA-256

719bcf9b3790614dcd5e3567384dac1d72c6c3bfae1359070511c1fa18f00cb6

Verified

✓ Snapshot stored ✓ Change verified

How to Cite

ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Minecraft | Document: Minecraft Usage Guidelines | Record: CA-P-002835
Captured: 2026-04-18 09:59:35 UTC | SHA-256: 719bcf9b3790614d…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/minecraft/minecraft-usage-guidelines/fan-art-and-merchandise-guidelines/
Accessed: May 2, 2026

Classification

Severity

Medium

Fan Art and Merchandise Guidelines