Minecraft Operating Company in China Awarded $7 Million for Copyright Infringement

The Chinese government has not been known in recent times for one that respects intellectual property. Afterall, there have been numerous reports from the United States government stating that companies in China have stolen technology from other countries who manufacture in China. This seems to have been changing as shown by newly amended copyright laws and the recent case of NetEase vs Mini Play, a Shenzhen based company.

NetEase is the only authorized company to deal with things in Minecraft. They essentially own Minecraft in China, a country who has a “Chinese version” for common things the rest of the world enjoys, such as Whatsapp or Facebook. Owning Minecraft in China gives them all the rights to the IP in the country, including protections under copyright laws.

The Guangdong Higher Court determined that Mini Play’s Minecraft-like sandbox game, Mini World, exceeded the number of similarities to Minecraft in core mechanics and gameplay. NetEase was awarded 50 million Chinese Yuan (About 7 million US Dollars) on November 30, 2022.