ESA Claims Private Minecraft Servers Are 'Illegal' and 'Piracy' During Stop Killing Games Hearing

In a recent hearing, the ESA made the puzzling claim that private Minecraft servers are 'illegal,' labeling them a form of 'piracy.' The discussion took place during a California State Senate hearing on the Protect Our Games Act, a bill aimed at forcing game publishers to keep games playable after server shutdowns. Assemblyman Chris Ward noted that games like Minecraft and Call of Duty already use community servers as a solution. However, ESA VP Jennifer Gibbons objected, arguing these servers are not sanctioned and are illegal. She compared them to a 'black market' and stated that the ESA considers them piracy, with two pending lawsuits against private servers. Despite this, Minecraft's official website encourages players to set up or browse third-party servers, which are reviewed for compliance with community standards. IGN pointed this out to the ESA, which responded that private servers infringe on IP rights and lack publisher oversight, potentially creating unsafe environments. PC Gamer noted that the USTR's Notorious Markets Report cited by Gibbons targets servers bypassing subscription services like World of Warcraft, not general community servers. The Protect Our Games Act failed to pass but was granted reconsideration. A Stop Killing Games volunteer vowed to return with stronger lobbying and support.