Industry Lobby Claims Minecraft Community Servers Are Illegal

Image via SKG / Minecraft

A California Senate committee hearing on AB 1921 turned into a flashpoint this week after an industry lobbyist called private Minecraft servers "illegal."

The comment came during a June 29 session of the Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development, where lawmakers debated the Protect Our Games Act (also widely known as the Stop Killing Games Bill).

What Is AB 1921 Actually About?

Authored by Assemblymember Chris Ward, AB 1921 wants to protect consumers from sudden game shutdowns.

The bill would require game publishers to give 60 days' notice before pulling servers that games need to function. It also pushes companies to offer either a playable offline version or a fair refund once support ends.

The bill passed the California State Assembly floor last month with a 43 to 16 vote and is now in the State Senate, making its way through multiple committees.

So Why Did Minecraft Become The Center Of Attention?

Things got heated when Senator Caroline Menjivar asked about community servers as a compliance option under the bill. Ward confirmed that community hosted servers already exist for games like Minecraft and Call of Duty, calling them an option that's already out there in practice.

That's when Jennifer Gibbons, a lobbyist representing the Entertainment Software Association (an organization that had previously been openly critical of the bill), jumped in with a statement that caught a lot of people off guard. She said private Minecraft servers are "illegal" and "not in any way affiliated with Microsoft."

She went further, claiming the ESA considers this "piracy" and mentioned pending lawsuits against private servers.

"In fact, we consider it piracy. We have lawsuits, two pending lawsuits against private servers right now."

That claim didn't sit well with the gaming community at all, and honestly, it's easy to see why. Minecraft has allowed community servers since multiplayer launched back in 2009. Mojang's own EULA permits hosting private and public servers, including charging for access under specific conditions. Massive networks like Hypixel have operated for over a decade with tens of millions of players. Calling that whole ecosystem "illegal" felt like a stretch to a lot of longtime players and creators.

What Happened To The Bill In Committee?

The vote itself ended up being razor close. Four members voted YES, three voted NO, and several abstained. Since the bill needed a majority to advance, it failed in this round. However, reconsideration was granted, which means the bill technically isn't dead. It's just stuck for now.

Ward has committed to additional amendments, refining the refund structure and possibly scrapping community servers altogether to address industry concerns.

Meanwhile, Stop Killing Games, the consumer advocacy movement, isn't backing down despite the setback. According to their statement, this was their first attempt in the United States and they ran the entire effort on volunteers with zero budget. They've already signaled plans to return next session with more resources, a stronger lobbying presence, and broader support from developers and consumer advocacy groups.

The movement also stated that it is exploring similar legislation in other U.S. states and potentially at the federal level.