I am very confused by Minecraft's EULA as it relates to mods.  It states that you can't profit in any way from mods, but there are obvious signs that it is not quite so, as virtually every mod download goes through something like AdFly and so many modders ask for donations on Patreon.

So, it seems that the real question is "how do you profit from mods without violating the EULA?"

Also, since most modders seem to prefer Forge, the most successful mods that have not been abandoned after a few years are Forge mods, and Forge seems to operate through a standard interface to the Minecraft code instead of by modifying the code itself... it leads me to suspect that Forge was designed to allow profiting without violating the EULA.

Am I guessing correctly?  Are there basic principles or maybe a guide on how to do it safely?

I ask because I am an experienced Java developer, loved Minecraft since Beta, and I would like to create AND properly support mods, but without a steady income (obviously assuming the mods are successful) it is obvious that I would sooner or later get bored and abandon any mod I wrote... so I don't see much point in nodding unless this was viable.

Paragraph before last of the section "Using our game".

Am I misreading it?  Are you saying that making a Forge mod and earning income through ads and patreon is NOT a violation of the EULA?  That is what I suspected and hoped for, and the reason for this post.

if yes, is there a source of advice on how to do it without getting in legal trouble?

Also, assuming that I were able to design a mod that got millions of downloads and promoted it correctly... would I be able to live on that income?

Edited March 12, 20223 yr by mehrcraft

TLDR: We live in Mojang's good graces and legal grey areas. Forge is not `designed to allow profiting` It was designed too help people not violate the EULA's 'dont distribute our stuff' part. 
Basically, if you're asking this question then you're most likely going to violate their EULA. Just make mods for fun, and if you host it yourself feel free to put non-intrusive ads on your page.
Do not say "Pay be $10 and you can have access to my mod"

But again, nobody here is lawyers, nore would it have any effect if Mojang decided to go after you as Microsoft has more money then you do, and we all know the side with the most money wins thee lawsuit.

That is exactly it LexManos, it is flat out impossible to produce good mods and support them for the long term if you are only doing them for fun.  If the only motivation is "for fun" sooner or later something else will attract your attention and you'll stop updating the mod as new versions of Minecraft come out and the mod ends up abandoned and no longer functional.  That is easily seen in 80-90% of mods made.

But there are some mods that have stood the test of time.  Most players wouldn't even consider playing without mods like Optifine, Xaero's or Journey maps, and some others from the mods with millions of downloads.  All of those are very obviously making an income from ads, Patreon donations and possibly other means.  Neither Mojang nor Microsoft have gone after them.  That is why I strongly suspect that there is a way to make an income without violating the EULA, although the EULA is very vague about how you would do it. 

Some of the obvious steps are:

- Don't charge for access to a mod.  The mod must be given for free.

- Don't make any of the features dependent or even remotely related on any kind of financial contribution.

- Don't distribute any of Minecraft's stuff.  That part this thread seems to be what Forge (not Fabric as far as I can tell) helps achieve. 

- Don't make any claims of any kind of relationship with Mojang and Microsoft.

 

So I think my question remains, and is valid and clearly possible as those many mods have done it:  "What additional steps must be taken to earn income without violating the EULA?" 

Ya I think this is getting along the line of trying to skirt their license for the sake of trying to abuse users for profit.
I also reject your assertion that its impossible to produce good mods unless you're paid too do so. Yes, being paid helps you not have to worry about income and other jobs. But that is no guarantee that you won't get "distracted" by other things. Or run into burnout from the Minecraft upgrade grind. 
However the ONLY legal way to make a mod for profit without violating the EULA is to get explicit permissions from Mojang to form a business relationship with them to utilize their IP for profit.
Good luck doing that. I don't think this needs to be discussed any further because your intention seems clear.