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Minecraft is a game that is awash with mods, add-ons, and custom content that can be implemented. There are multiple avenues to implement these modifications, depending on the edition of the game being played. However, Bedrock Edition's add-on marketplace has come under fire by the game's community. Specifically, players are upset by some content that is perceived as ripoffs of existing mods.
In a recent Minecraft subreddit post, a player with the username Darkner90 highlighted a marketplace add-on called Ether Dimension II, remarking that it is clearly a ripoff of the well-known Aether Mod for Java Edition. The Aether Mod has existed for over a decade, and Darkner wondered aloud as to why this kind of plagiarism was overlooked by Mojang.
Minecraft fans in the comments certainly had their opinions on the matter at large, many of which agreed with Darkner's assertion.
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Minecraft fans decry mod ripoffs seen in the in-game Marketplace
Minecraft: Bedrock Edition still allows for modification, much like its Java-based counterpart, but does so primarily through the use of add-on files, many of which are curated by Mojang via the game's marketplace. However, many add-ons appear to be very clearly skirting the boundaries of directly copying existing game mods made by the community.
In their Reddit post, Darkner shared a screenshot of Ether Dimension II by SNDBX, which appears to be heavily reminiscent of the Aether Mod. This left players wondering why Mojang wouldn't simply allow the original Aether Mod to exist on the marketplace instead.
In the comments, many Minecraft players opined that as long as Mojang is making money from purchases of add-ons on the marketplace, they likely don't care if community-made mods are ripped off. Other fans remarked that these add-ons didn't even rip off their original counterparts correctly and were often pale imitations.
A certain group of users also pointed out that one of the Aether Mod's former developers, who now works at Mojang, also decried the blatant plagiarism seen in the Minecraft Marketplace.
All in all, plenty of players aren't pleased that the work of the community is essentially being snatched away and monetized by bad-faith creators.
Interestingly enough, the developer in question, known as Kingbdogz, chimed in on the Reddit thread. He stated that after communicating with the Aether Mod team and SNDBX, the two groups came to an understanding. The Ether Dimension add-on would rebrand its name and include more original content to make itself distinct from the Aether Mod.
Even more surprisingly, Oscar, the current Aether Mod project lead, also chimed in to support Kingbdogz's statements. He stated that the original Ether Dimension content was far too close to the original mod, but the second entry presented more original creative choices while remaining inspired by the Aether Mod. According to Oscar and Kingbdogz, they have no problems with this approach.
To hear the two Minecraft developers tell it, copyright action was initially considered before Mojang stepped in to address the issue and assist the two parties with a compromise. This resulted in the add-on known as the Aether Dimension becoming the Ether Dimension, complete with original content not completely mirroring the Aether Mod team's work.
Although this certainly clarifies some of the controversy surrounding the Aether Mod and Ether Dimension specifically, other players pointed out that countless other mods have had their work infringed upon in the marketplace. So far, many of these perceived ripoffs remain on the marketplace while the original mod devs struggle to respond.
In the Aether Mod's case, it appears that the original mod will make its way to the Minecraft Marketplace soon enough due to a Bedrock partnership. Be that as it may, plenty of content remains on the marketplace that is far from original and clearly mirrors other mods. These add-ons continue to collect revenue without recourse.
Mojang's stance on moderation and vetting in the marketplace is fairly nebulous, and it's unclear as to how much it's willing to step in for other mod creators compared to the Aether Mod situation. Microsoft has a heavy hand in the presence of the marketplace, so it's possible that Mojang doesn't intervene much unless add-ons violate terms of service or the EULA.
Regardless, the issue remains a continuing one in the Minecraft Marketplace. Considering Minecraft Java mod creators aren't compensated and are left to use platforms like Patreon or Ko.fi to gain financial support, some developers are raking in plenty of cash just by cribbing content and slapping it in Bedrock's marketplace.
It's unclear if the fan backlash will be capable of catching Microsoft's attention, but a response is sorely needed on this subject.
