Target: Jagex Ltd., Phil Mansell (CEO, Jagex)

 

Executive Summary
Jagex is currently issuing blanket legal threats against the RuneScape Private Server (RSPS) ecosystem. While we fully respect Jagex’s right to shut down malicious actors and direct 1:1 commercial clones, the current enforcement approach is indiscriminately destroying “Custom RSPS” environments. These are independent, highly transformative, community-built indie games that utilize vintage frameworks to create entirely new experiences. We are petitioning Jagex to halt the destruction of this digital heritage and establish a formal Creator EULA to protect legitimate, innovative, community-driven development.

 

To the Leadership and Legal Teams at Jagex Ltd.,

 

We, the undersigned—comprising thousands of dedicated players, independent developers, and community builders—write to you regarding the recent aggressive legal actions taken against the RSPS ecosystem. We respectfully urge Jagex to reconsider its current trajectory of broad enforcement and instead recognize the fundamentally distinct and highly transformative nature of Custom RSPS projects.

 

Distinguishing Custom RSPS from Direct Replication
It is critical to establish a clear distinction between servers attempting to commercially compete with modern RuneScape, and the Custom RSPS community. For over a decade, Custom RSPS projects have operated not as market substitutes, but as parallel digital sandboxes for technical innovation, indie game development, and engine modernization. These are no longer simple recreations; they are highly modified platforms involving substantial original engineering and creative authorship.

 

The Transformative Nature of Modern Custom RSPS
Modern Custom RSPS projects fundamentally alter the original material to create new aesthetics, utility, and communities. Developers invest thousands of hours into radical asset transformation, modeling fully custom weapons, bosses, and world regions that do not exist in any official Jagex product. 

 

Furthermore, the backend architectures have been extensively rewritten. Developers routinely:
• Rebuild core networking protocols.
• Implement custom, highly optimized cache systems.
• Engineer scalable multiplayer frameworks.
• Create entirely new gameplay loops, such as rogue-like game modes and competitive esports structures.

 

These projects push the original engine far beyond its intended scope and frequently resemble standalone indie MMORPGs more than traditional private servers. Crucially, this ecosystem serves as a massive educational gateway. Countless programmers, network engineers, and UI/UX designers began their professional careers by reverse-engineering and modernizing these legacy frameworks. 

 

The Legal Framework: Transformative Use & Industry Precedent
While we recognize Jagex’s proprietary rights to the baseline engine, U.S. Copyright Law has long recognized legal protections surrounding transformative works. Under 17 U.S.C. § 107, the doctrine of Fair Use heavily weighs whether the resulting creation adds new expression, meaning, or mechanics. Developers are utilizing deprecated software frameworks as a foundational toolkit to engineer entirely new multiplayer experiences, establishing a distinct legal and cultural value.

 

Modern software law has increasingly shifted away from scorched-earth litigation toward Safe Harbor systems and Creator EULAs. The broader gaming industry has repeatedly demonstrated that controlled collaboration with transformative communities produces stronger ecosystems:

• Mojang (Microsoft): Built the extraordinary longevity of Minecraft heavily upon independent server hosting and total-conversion modpacks, establishing clear community frameworks that protect the core IP while allowing creativity to thrive.
• Valve Corporation: Historically embraced transformative modding communities, directly contributing to industry-defining titles like Counter-Strike and Team Fortress. Furthermore, when the highly transformative custom game Dota emerged within Blizzard’s Warcraft III ecosystem, Valve recognized its potential, proving that community-built projects are often not threats to a game’s legacy—they become part of it.

 

Our Call to Action
We fully respect Jagex’s right to protect its IP against fraudulent operations and 1:1 commercial competitors. However, treating highly transformative, community-built projects with the same level of legal aggression risks destroying years of independent creative work and alienating RuneScape’s most technically engaged advocates.

 

We formally request that Jagex:

 

1. Halt the arbitrary shutdowns of highly customized, transformative community servers.
2. Open a constructive dialogue with Custom RSPS developers and community leaders.
3. Explore a mutually beneficial framework, such as a Transformative Creator License or a dedicated Custom RSPS EULA, establishing non-commercial operational standards and safe harbor provisions.

 

By signing this petition, we stand united in support of technological innovation, digital preservation, and community-driven game development. We ask Jagex to work with its most passionate and innovative creators, not against them. 

Let us preserve that spirit and build the future of this community together.