Tipperary author 'formally liberates' Minecraft's End Poem to the gift economy

Tipperary award-winning author Julian Gough, who wrote the End Poem for the world’s best selling game, Minecraft, has put the work out in the public domain for free.

Mr Gough, though born in London, moved to Nenagh with his parents Dick, and Betty Gough, Knockalton, at seven years of age.

He wrote the ending for Minecraft “Survival mode” over 10 years ago, and in a post on his website, says he was prompted to make the text freely available in part because of contractual issues with the creators of the game and Microsoft, which bought the rights for more than $2bn in 2014.

He says that he never signed a contract giving away the rights, which means Microsoft does not own it.

But “rather than sue the company or fight with my old friend, who founded the company . . . I am dedicating the poem to the public domain”.

In his post, Mr Gough outlines how he came to write the end of the game and how his relationship with the Minecraft creator and the people around him deteriorated.

He recalls that Minecraft creator Markus Persson and his games company Mojang, had put the word out looking for an ending and had been put in touch with him, and Julian says he had “total freedom” on the ending.

A representative of Mojang got in touch about payment but there was a “failed attempt to find a fair price”.

The company paid him €20,000 and was sent the money despite no written contract being in place.

When a contract arrived, weeks later, the game had been out for a month, but at this stage, he was deeply unhappy. He didn’t sign a contract.

Then in 2014, he got word that the contract had still not been signed and found out that Microsoft was bidding to buy Minecraft for $2.4bn.

Mr Gough writes that he could have got the lawyers involved, but, instead, wants to “formally liberate the End Poem . . . and place it officially in the gift economy.”

Mr Gough is author of the Rabbit and Bear children’s books as well as the novels Juno & Juliet, Jude, Level 1, and Jude in London, as well as a collection of poetry.

He is the former frontman for the band Toasted Heretic.