Minecraft · Minecraft Usage Guidelines · View original document ↗

Governing Law and Jurisdiction

Medium severity Common · 201 of 343 platforms
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Document Record

What it is

Any legal dispute about how you use Minecraft's IP will be handled under Washington State law, in courts located in Seattle's King County.

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

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

The clause designates a specific legal jurisdiction and venue for dispute resolution, which determines which state's substantive law applies to interpretation of the guidelines and specifies the geographic location where litigation would occur.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

If you are an EU, UK, or other international creator who has a dispute with Mojang over IP permissions, you would need to litigate in Washington State courts under US law, which is costly and impractical for most individuals and small businesses.

How other platforms handle this

Cloudflare Medium

These Terms shall be governed by the laws of the State of California, excluding its conflicts of law rules, and the federal laws of the United States. Any dispute arising from or relating to the subject matter of these Terms shall be finally settled by arbitration in San Francisco County, California...

MetaMask Medium

These Terms of Service and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them or their subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any choice o...

Target Medium

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law provisions. Any disputes not subject to arbitration will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Hennepin County, Minnesota.

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
These guidelines are governed by the laws of the State of Washington, and you agree that any disputes arising from these guidelines will be resolved in the courts of King County, Washington.

— Excerpt from Minecraft's Minecraft Usage Guidelines

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

1) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision engages the Brussels I Recast Regulation (EU 1215/2012) for EU users, which limits the enforceability of forum selection clauses in consumer contracts, and the UK Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments Act 1982. US interstate commerce law and the Washington Consumer Protection Act (RCW 19.86) also apply. 2)

Full compliance analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

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Applicable agencies

  • State AG
    The Washington State Attorney General enforces consumer protection laws under RCW 19.86, which applies to unfair or deceptive terms in consumer contracts including restrictive forum selection clauses.
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
Minecraft Usage Guidelines
Entity
Minecraft
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
April 18, 2026
Last verified
April 18, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-002836
Document ID
CA-D-00119
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
719bcf9b3790614dcd5e3567384dac1d72c6c3bfae1359070511c1fa18f00cb6
Analysis generated
April 18, 2026 09:59 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Minecraft
Document: Minecraft Usage Guidelines
Record ID: CA-P-002836
Captured: 2026-04-18 09:59:35 UTC
SHA-256: 719bcf9b3790614d…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/minecraft/minecraft-usage-guidelines/governing-law-and-jurisdiction/
Accessed: June 18, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Minecraft's Governing Law and Jurisdiction clause do?

The clause designates a specific legal jurisdiction and venue for dispute resolution, which determines which state's substantive law applies to interpretation of the guidelines and specifies the geographic location where litigation would occur.

How does this clause affect you?

If you are an EU, UK, or other international creator who has a dispute with Mojang over IP permissions, you would need to litigate in Washington State courts under US law, which is costly and impractical for most individuals and small businesses.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 201 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Minecraft?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Minecraft.