Since filing for our trademark on Skyblock in 2019

We attempted to remove infringing "Skyblock" named content on the Minecraft Marketplace and was consistently met with no response and no enforcement by Microsoft. During this time and throughout 2020, the largest companies profiting the most started to recruit others to oppose our rights.

Just one day before our Skyblock trademark were to be accepted on January 1st, 2021, we kicked off the new year with notice by Microsoft and eleven Minecraft-affiliated companies who insist that the term 'Skyblock' is generic for a 'floating block in the sky' and used solely to describe a 'floating island' game environment.

Therefore, they claim, our intellectual property and trademark rights should be rejected by the U.S Patent and Trademark Office.
This case is still ongoing after over 5 years.

The companies involved include:

Microsoft Corporation, Razzleberries AB, Sapphire Studios LLC, Easy Games Inc, Mineplex LLC, Jigarbov Productions Inc, Aurrora Limited, Ziax Ltd (CubeCraft), Hydreon Corporation (Lifeboat), Spark Squared GMBH (Spark Universe), Rewrite Media Inc (Pathway Studios), and King Cube Ltd

But why?

These companies, particularly Razzleberries and Sapphire Studios as the primary beneficiaries, have copy and re-created Skyblock in its entirety, which we have provided for free within the Minecraft community since September 2011.

This infringing content uses the Skyblock name alongside marketing material such as screenshots, thumbnails, and artwork that depict the distinct L-shaped island with one chest and one tree, along with our strategic materials and goal-orientated challenges - the very elements that make our creation iconic and recognizable.

This content have labeled their products with names, terms, or descriptions such as:

• - “Skyblock”
• - “Original Skyblock”
• - “The one and only Skyblock experience!”
• - “Skyblock, but better!”
• - “Classic Skyblock”
• - “Skyblock Simple”
• - “The Skyblock you know and love!”
• - “Vanilla Skyblock”
• - “The original Skyblock version!”
• - “Skyblock Map”
• - “Original Skyblock like everyone loves!”
• - “Skyblock Classic Edition”
• - “The real Skyblock game!”
• - “Skyblock Version 1.1”
• - “Experience the original Skyblock!”
• - “Skyblock Survival”

Not only are they copying the design of Skyblock, but they are purposely misleading consumers into thinking that they are original, authentic, or perhaps official creators of Skyblock with specific names and descriptions.

These tactics are not unintentional. They are carried out for clicks, for purchases, and they have proven successful - with Razzleberries generating an estimated $4.5+ million and Sapphire Studios an estimate of $1.5+ million - from just one of their infringing Skyblock maps, sold at prices ranging from $4.99 to $2.99. Microsoft retains roughly 63% of the revenue generated from these sales. When viewed in this context, the financial incentive becomes clear and helps explain why Microsoft and its partners continue to oppose our rights to Skyblock.

If they truly believe Skyblock is generic for any type of floating island, then this level of copying shouldn't exist — their islands would use different designs instead of replicating ours.

Here, you may view a small collection below of what their content looks like to get a good idea of our concerns.

Statement by Noobcrew

I began filing for the Skyblock trademark for further legal protection on September 2nd, 2019. Although this was years after creating Skyblock, the filing was made at the first instance of third-party commercialization, which occurred in August 2019.

In 2014, Microsoft's acquisition of "Minecraft" was a pivotal moment in Minecraft's history. Many players were concerned about aggressive monetization and unfair competition, given Microsoft's long record of of major company acquisitions and antitrust scrutiny — and unfortunately they did just that. The Minecraft Marketplace launched in June 2017, fundamentally reshaping the Minecraft ecosystem.

It introduced a micro-transactional driven, algorithm based system that favored a limited group of creators and companies.


To apply to become a Minecraft Marketplace Partner, the application rounds are closed, and have remained closed for years.

If you want to create content, you must go through third-party companies that act as publishers. However, the system is controlled by only a handful of companies, including two that are currently opposing my rights. These Microsoft-authorized publishers decide who they accept, how content is created, and what revenue share they keep. This limited gateway has effectively shut out many unique and individual creators who make up the core of the real Minecraft community.

Although my concerns are directed only at the Marketplace teams that take advantage of others, there are also creators and teams who operate ethically and welcome original creators like myself. After being excluded by the companies involved and their friends, it took more than two years to find a publisher willing to accept me.

Below are some informative videos that explain this situation in greater detail.

Skyblock is not generic.

The popularity and success of Skyblock, including its widespread fan-usage, does not make it generic. A generic term is one commonly found in dictionaries, universally used across languages, and understood to describe a general class of goods and services. Skyblock does not meet this standard. The term has meaning only within the Minecraft community.

Skyblock has been recognized as a specific design, world, and strategic style of gameplay — all of which I created and provided. I was not the first develop a "floating island" concept, but Skyblock became popular precisely because it was not a generic and meaningless floating island. It was defined by its unique layout and gameplay structure.

Despite no decision being reached in the ongoing trademark case, Microsoft released an "official" Skyblock Pack in 2022 for 1,020 Minecoins ($5.99) and designated Skyblock as a category within the Minecraft Marketplace. This reflects unfair business practices that undermine my creation and my rights while the legal process is still unresolved. These decisions were not accidental; Microsoft controls how the Marketplace operates.

Microsoft and its partners argue that Skyblock is generic, yet that has never been legally determined. By creating a dedicated Skyblock category and promoting “official” and “original” Skyblock content during an unresolved dispute, Microsoft effectively presents Skyblock as a generic term while simultaneously acknowledging that an original Skyblock exists and was authored. This contradiction shapes consumer intepertation in Microsoft’s favor and sidesteps the unresolved legal question of ownership.

The companies involved in this content release were, ironically, Jigarbov Products and Sapphire Studios. It is reasonable to conclude that these actions, taken two years into the legal dispute, were intended to influence public perception.


The actions involved by these companies are a transparent effort to group together, combine their resources, and protect their profits. They initiated a baseless claim asserting that "Skyblock" is generic, using a loophole in the trademark system to force this dispute onto me.

While it is true that non-commercial maps and content on Planet Minecraft or free-to-play multiplayer servers use 'Skyblock', this has always been allowed, and the community understands it as part of Minecraft's modding culture. Servers may sell ranks or items, but they do not sell Skyblock-named products or claim to be the original creators. They sell typical Minecraft features permitted under the EULA. This fan content is now being utilized as evidence and is the primary basis for their false claims.

Microsoft and their partnered companies are effectively leveraging the community and fan culture of Minecraft to justify taking popular ideas from smaller creators and to excuse their own intellectual property infringement. These companies have turned my contribution into a paid product, and now behave as if I have committed a crime for trying to protect it.

Under the "generic" argument, creators like myself are forced into litigation and required to produce anything requested, with failure to do so, such as delays in my response would be an immediate forfeit of my rights. They've tried to enact this guideline once before, while they themselves requested and received extensions at least seven different times to make this process last as long as possible.

I have long been known within the community, and even official Mojang-approved publications such as, The Book of Minecraft, identifying me (Noobcrew) as the creator of Skyblock. Additionally, other official and widely distributed publications including — Minecraft: The Official Construction Handbook, Minecraft: Guide to Survival and others — consistently describe Skyblock as a specific, authored creation, not a generic term. This is the complete opposite of what Microsoft now claims.

Their claims do not need to be true, yet I have provided hundreds of files, stats, evidence, and personal documents to counter every accusation. I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on lawyers, endured an interrogation-like deposition, and spent five years of my life responding to constant demands, all out of fear of losing what I created.

I am only defending myself. I did not initiate this legal fight. This case costs companies like Microsoft, Razzleberries, and others nothing more than lawyer fees — it requires none of their personal time or stress.

I am not a corporation. It is consistently on my mind and it continues to be a major stress every single day. I am incapable of giving up and backing out. Not only can I not move forward with protecting what I rightfully created, I am accumulating serious debt just to continue this fight, and I feel stuck from moving forward in my life.

Please do not support these companies.

The partnered companies involved in this legal case have shown no concerns for fairness or respect. Their decisions put profit above everything else. They will continue fighting future creators to dominate the Minecraft Marketplace with replicated and unoriginal content — and Microsoft will support them, as Microsoft receives more than 60% of the revenue from every sale.

This entire matter could have been resolved with a single conversation, something they have avoided for years. When I attempted to speak directly with individuals involved to reduce unnecessary legal expenses, my messages were screenshotted and forwarded to my attorneys forcing me to end any communication outside legal channels. Yet, the founders of these companies have discussed this case openly in Discord groups with both server owners and Marketplace partners, expressing confidence that they can pressure me financially.

I attempted multiple written and verbal settlements, asking for no monetary compensation and no royalties for past infringement. I simply requested the right to move forward with my intellectual property and asked that the Marketplace products that resemble "original" Skyblock products to be renamed and rebranded. Every request was ignored or declined. They understand the odds are stacked in their favor, giving them no incentive to meet me halfway.

The main beneficiaries are not even the ones visibly fighting. CubeCraft, Lifeboat, Easy Games, and Mineplex have nothing to gain or lose; they are simply protecting their friends. Razzleberries' founder, "RazzleberryFox", was previously employed at Mojang and left in May 2017 — the month before the Marketplace launched. King Cube, Pathway Studios, and Jigarbov are among the largest Marketplace publishers, and their businesses depend on close partnerships with Microsoft. These companies even attempted to rally Java server owners to support them, yet not a single one agreed to participate.

This case will set a precedent within Minecraft for all creators of user-generated content. If you create something popular, others will copy it — this has always been true — but traditionally this occured in free and in non-commercial ways, not through the Marketplace. The Minecraft EULA enforces this distinction: creators can not sell mods or other content outside Microsoft's controlled Marketplace system. Because of this, these companies use the "generic" argument to claim community use on Planet Minecraft, servers, and similar platforms, proves they are allowed to sell the same content commercially. It is a strategy that lets them avoid copyright or trademark liability. From my experience, whether you win or lose, they will drain your time, money, and energy to force you to give up. It is more profitable for them to do so, and with their experienced legal teams, their risks are low. No one else should have to go through this.

My Intentions

Over the past 5 years, there has been no indication that Microsoft or its partners believe Skyblock should belong to the public domain for the benefit of players. Their focus has solely been on the damages they claim will incur if my rights are recognized.

Platforms such as Roblox, Fortnite, and Apple have accepted my requests to remove or rename unauthorized "Skyblock" named content when it appears. If I lose this case, I will no longer have the ability to protect the name on any platform. If Skyblock were pushed into the public domain, the name would become diluted and eventually lose all meaning.

Protecting my rights would allow non-commercial Skyblock content to continue within the Minecraft community, ensure misleading purchasable products are removed, and give me the freedom to grow Skyblock the way I always intended.

My long-term goal is to ultimately develop Skyblock into its own standalone game. I created Skyblock when I was 15 years old, and I have offered it for free for over 14 years on a safe, community-focused platform where players could enjoy it without limitations. I have maintained Skyblock, improving its content, website, and multiplayer servers. Everything here is centered around the name Skyblock — it is the foundation of what i've created and the brand i've established.

If their misguided claims succeed, I will lose everything I have built, while they gain nothing more than the security of future profits by eliminating my involvement. Without a protectable name, the steps I have taken toward Skyblock's future become worthless. Growth in this industry is slow for small teams — you cannot build anything lasting when your name can be freely used by anyone, including large corporations.

If this happens, I would no longer be able to provide Skyblock in a way that benefits the popularity of Minecraft — or, by extension, Microsoft and its partnered companies. If I am unable to shape the future of Skyblock, then I cannot justify continuing its content while others redefine and commercialize it.

Microsoft will do nothing. Mojang will say nothing.

Everyone deserves the ability to protect their rights and challenge obvious injustices. By bringing this matter to light, perhaps it can make a difference in exposing what truly goes on behind the scenes — how unique content is stolen, the revenue generated in doing so, and the lengths some companies will go to ensure it continues. The Minecraft community already understands these common sense issues, and many are tired of how Microsoft and their Partners now control its content.

Microsoft and Mojang know that, with time, most people move on to the next problem. This has happened before; YouTube videos with millions of views, Reddit posts on the front page, petitions with thousands of signatures, even community-funded legal efforts — none of it matters unless Microsoft or Mojang decide to act, and they know this. I can only hope the truth will ultimately support my position, and that their unfair actions will not be forgotten.

This case was meant to move forward quietly. And in most situations it would have — if I did not have this platform to speak. Below are more details, including excerpts from legal documents, evidence, transcripts, and related information.

Thank you for reading.

Update: As of September 24th, 2025, exactly one year since my first statement, and over 5 years since my initial trademark filing, it is finally off to final review for decision by the U.S Trademark and Patent Office. It can take upwards of 4 - 12 months for this to be decided. You can still support if you would like by signing the petition here.

Legal Info:

More details, evidence, and references explaining my arguments.