ESA declares private Minecraft servers 'illegal' in StopKillingGames hearing

2 days ago

ESA representative Jennifer Gibbons declared private servers for games like Minecraft and Call of Duty illegal and considered them piracy at a California State Senate hearing.
Gibbons claimed private servers lack safety standards and are not affiliated with publishers like Microsoft, citing pending lawsuits and USTR Notorious Markets Reports.
The Protect Our Games Act (AB 1921) failed to pass with 4 aye votes, 3 noes, and 4 abstentions but was granted reconsideration for future sessions.
ESA stated private servers infringe on publishers' IP rights and raise safety concerns, opposing the bill's provision to use them as legitimate alternatives.
Stop Killing Games campaign criticized ESA's claims as misleading and plans to expand lobbying efforts to other states and federal levels with developer and player support.

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