{"rewrite":{"id":"r_7c2b48c546de28b7711dd224","clusterId":"c_0f1a9911462d1774fa76019d","slug":"esa-lobbyist-calls-community-servers-illegal-at-stop-killing-games-hearing","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Esa Lobbyist Calls Community Servers 'Illegal' at Stop Killing Games Hearing","summary":"At a California Senate hearing on the 'Protect Our Games Act,' ESA Vice President Jennifer Gibbons interrupted a lawmaker to state that community servers for 'Minecraft' and 'Call of Duty' are 'illegal' and constitute piracy. The bill, which aimed to keep games playable after service termination, passed the Assembly but failed in the Senate. The ESA later clarified its position on private servers in an email to Kotaku.","whyItMatters":"The ESA's characterization of community-run game preservation servers as piracy and a 'black market' marks a sharp escalation in the industry's public stance against the 'Stop Killing Games' movement.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eAt a California Senate hearing on the \u0026#39;Protect Our Games Act,\u0026#39; a bill introduced by the \u0026#39;Stop Killing Games\u0026#39; movement, ESA Vice President Jennifer Gibbons interrupted Assemblymember Chris Ward mid-answer to declare that community servers for \u0026#39;Minecraft\u0026#39; and \u0026#39;Call of Duty\u0026#39; are \u0026#39;illegal.\u0026#39; When a committee member asked if that made them a \u0026#39;black market for video games,\u0026#39; Gibbons affirmed, \u0026#39;Yes. In fact, we consider this piracy. We currently have two lawsuits pending against private servers.\u0026#39; The bill passed the Assembly 43-16 but failed to secure a majority in the Senate, with most senators abstaining. Reconsideration is allowed, and movement volunteers said they plan to lobby directly in the next session.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"ESA VP Jennifer Gibbons told a California Senate hearing that community servers for Minecraft and Call of Duty are 'illegal' and 'piracy.' The 'Protect Our Games Act' failed in the Senate, but the movement plans to return with direct lobbying.","twitterPost":"ESA VP Jennifer Gibbons told a California Senate hearing that community servers for Minecraft and Call of Duty are 'illegal' and 'piracy.' The 'Protect Our Games Act' failed in the Senate, but the movement plans to return with direct lobbying.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"At a California Senate hearing, ESA Vice President Jennifer Gibbons interrupted a lawmaker to call community servers for 'Minecraft' and 'Call of Duty' 'illegal' and 'piracy,' comparing them to a black market. The 'Protect Our Games Act' passed the Assembly but failed in the Senate. The ESA later clarified its position in an email, while movement volunteers said they plan to lobby directly in the next session.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/07/01/168696.html\",\"title\":\"Game industry lobbyist claims community servers for 'Minecraft' and 'Call of Duty' are 'illegal' at 'Stop Killing Games' hearing\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4122,"outputTokens":626,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1782915412,"createdAt":"2026-07-01T14:05:21.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-07-01T14:09:50.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-01T14:09:50.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_0f1a9911462d1774fa76019d","canonicalTitle":"『マインクラフト』や『Call of Duty』のコミュニティサーバーは「違法」だと主張。ゲーム業界のロビイストが「Stop Killing Games」公聴会で","representativeArticleId":"a_4c100474af315e65f9be7a91","sourceCount":2,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Minecraft\",\"Call of Duty\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-01T13:30:04.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-02T10:30:03.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-02T10:35:16.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"GameBusiness.jp","url":"https://www.gamebusiness.jp/article/2026/07/02/27372.html","title":"『マインクラフト』や『Call of Duty』のコミュニティサーバーは「違法」だと主張。ゲーム業界のロビイストが「Stop Killing Games」公聴会で"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/07/01/168696.html","title":"『マインクラフト』や『Call of Duty』のコミュニティサーバーは「違法」だと主張。ゲーム業界のロビイストが「Stop Killing Games」公聴会で"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Minecraft","Call of Duty"],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"news","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["The bill passed the Assembly 43-16 but failed to secure a majority in the Senate, with most senators abstaining.","The ESA later clarified its position on private servers in an email to Kotaku.","Reconsideration of the bill is allowed, and movement volunteers said they plan to lobby directly in the next session."]}