Minecraft's Notch Denounces Esa's Claim on Server Legality

WHO:

IGN - Markus "Notch" Persson, creator of Minecraft

IGN - Jennifer Gibbons, VP of State Government Affairs for the Electronic Software Association (ESA)

Sportskeeda - Markus "Notch" Persson

WHAT:

IGN - Notch criticized the ESA for claiming that Minecraft's private servers are "illegal."

IGN - The ESA described private servers as a form of "piracy" and compared them to a gaming "black market."

IGN - The ESA issued two statements regarding the legality of private servers, one reaffirming Gibbons' comments and another softening them.

WHERE:

IGN - The California State Senate held a hearing regarding the Protect Our Games Act.

WHEN:

IGN - The California State Senate hearing occurred earlier in the month.

WHY:

IGN - The Protect Our Games Act aims to obligate publishers to ensure games remain playable even after support ends.

IGN - The ESA's concerns include the potential infringement of intellectual property rights and the lack of oversight for private servers.

HOW:

IGN - The ESA's updated statement indicated that private servers could infringe on the intellectual property rights of game publishers and operate without publisher oversight.

(UPDATED July 2, 2026 06:24 UTC)

Markus "Notch" Persson, the creator of Minecraft, has publicly criticized the Electronic Software Association for labeling private servers as "illegal" and likening them to a gaming "black market." This controversy arose during a California State Senate hearing on the Protect Our Games Act, which seeks to ensure that games remain playable even after official support ends. The ESA has issued two statements on the matter, one reaffirming their stance on private servers as potential infringements of intellectual property rights and another that softens their previous comments.