Thank you again everyone for your support, I can't respond to all messages but I do read them and greatly appreciate it!

As this is public information, there is nothing wrong for anyone that wishes to exercise their right to freedom of speech and help make all of this more known through other platforms.

 

Yup, even if you look at the "original" Skyblock content posted on the Minecraft Marketplace, and view the comments on their YouTube trailers, you'll see many comments mentioning how it is in fact not original. Of course, there are a lot of individuals unaware of this type of stuff, for such a large platform like the Minecraft Marketplace that is owned by Microsoft/Mojang, players just accept what is published without thinking much of it.

You'll usually see players actively voice their opinions about the Marketplace on sites such as Reddit, here is the link to what I have mentioned regarding the Aether.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/164485m/why_does_mojang_allow_this_its_literally_an

In the comments, you'll find a response from kingbdogz, one of the original creators of the Aether, who expressed his concerns about how the "Aether Dimension" name was used by a different company within the Minecraft Marketplace. It was eventually changed to "Ether Dimension", which he felt was sufficient.

As with kingbdogz, I have no issue with others drawing inspiration from Skyblock, even if they create something nearly identical with a similar name. However, when a company outright takes the name and markets it as "original" for a paid product, it's a deliberate attempt to exploit and profit from someone else's work.

 

I believe it is acceptable for freely available multiplayer servers to use the Skyblock name in Minecraft. Since I've always offered Skyblock for free, it wouldn't make sense to restrict those who want to share the experience and allow others to enjoy playing together on the platform it was originally created for.

I'm considering this purely in the context of how Skyblock was originally intended, not in relation to our own multiplayer servers.

My main concerns are focused on the use of the "Skyblock" name outside of Minecraft and within the Minecraft Marketplace.

Just as Microsoft/Mojang frequently updates their guidelines on what is allowed or not, I have adapted my own stance as the game has evolved. A clear example of Microsoft/Mojang altering their guidelines occurred last year with my alternative server, "Mineverse".

We were blacklisted for using a "Creeper Face" image on our store, which is copyright protected. Although we eventually removed it, I can assure you that for the previous decade, using any form of the "Creeper Face" image was widely considered acceptable. Given that the server now receives minimal traffic, it’s evident that Mojang's enforcement team was specifically searching for such infringements. With the upcoming release of the Minecraft movie, it makes sense now, as the "Creeper Face" has become prominently featured, including on the movie's cover art.

In a similar situation, I had no issue with any "Skyblock"-named content within Minecraft before the introduction of the Minecraft Marketplace, as my content was not directly replicated and sold prior to its launch. Just because I didn’t enforce restrictions in the past—much like Microsoft/Mojang didn’t initially enforce restrictions on the use of the "Creeper Face" image—doesn’t mean that its use should be permitted in any form that is deemed unacceptable now. However, unlike in my case, no one would ever dare to challenge Microsoft's changes to their guidelines.

In regards to the server you mentioned, you are right that the server is not following the EULA by promoting themselves in that manner. To be honest, if they want to make that claim they are only discrediting themselves as any individual can do a quick Google search and see that their claims are not true. This is something that Mojang's enforcement can deal with rather than myself.

You've made a strong point.

Many third-party Minecraft servers do utilize names like "Hunger Games," "Grand Theft Auto," "Call of Duty," "DayZ," and others, all of which are derived from well-known games, books, or other media. Despite this, these names continue to be permitted within the Minecraft community.

Microsoft/Mojang have always had a hands-off approach, allowing these names to exist. If "Hunger Games," arguably one of the most prevalent names used in Minecraft, isn't removed or challenged by either Microsoft or its original creators, it raises the question of why "Skyblock" would be treated as generic when these other names aren't.

The only notable instance I can think of where a major company took action was when Pokémon intervened to shut down the Pixelmon mod in 2017. However, even after its closure, numerous iterations have since emerged, underscoring the inconsistency in enforcement.

You'll never find this type of content on the Minecraft Marketplace unless it's been approved by the original creators or through a licensing agreement. For example, content like Sonic the Hedgehog is without a doubt authorized by the creators or company that owns the rights to Sonic, either directly or through a licensing deal.

In the timeline of events I have documented, I made efforts from the very beginning to prevent Skyblock from being used on the Minecraft Marketplace. However, as an individual without the backing of a large company, I was simply disregarded. Instead, Microsoft went out of its way to allow "Skyblock" named content to be published, established "SkyBlock" as its own category, and released "officially" branded Skyblock content without my approval.