There's a public "fan-made replica" Minecraft server openly using "UnstableSMP" similar to a huge YouTube series – is this low-risk for trademark issues, and what happens if it grows to 1k–2k players?

Location: Cali

Hi everyone,

There's a public Minecraft Java server listed on Craftlist (and similar sites minecraft server s ites) called "UnstableSMP" that describes itself as "A fan-made replica server of the UnstableSMP to give the opportunity to everyone to create their own adventures." It links to a Discord and gets votes/traffic from people searching “Unstable SMP server IP” after watching related YouTube videos.

Quick background on the series for context:

“Unstable SMP” (also called Unstable Universe) is a scripted, private hardcore survival series on YouTube by creators like ParrotX2, Wemmbu, and others (started around April 2024). It's one of the biggest gaming series on YouTube, pulling millions of views per video. It's not a public server anyone can join consistently, it's just content for their videos, but they do open a temporary server when they need an army of people for big clips, events, or recordings in the videos. There is no official public server IP for ongoing play, no official merch line, and no registered trademark appears for “Unstable SMP” or “Unstable Universe” in gaming/entertainment on the USPTO.

The server in question:

- Uses a very similar name/banner

- Clearly states "fan-made replica" in the description

- Gets A LOT OF spillover traffic from video fans looking for a joinable version

- Has decent votes (thousands) and occasional peaks, but not massive scale yet

My questions are about this kind of setup in general:

1. Does prominently stating “fan-made replica / unofficial / not affiliated” (in description, MOTD, Discord, etc.) provide meaningful protection against a likelihood-of-confusion claim or cease-and-desist from the YouTubers?

2. If the creators ever sent a C&D (no evidence they have so far), would simply changing the server name resolve the issue without court in most cases?

3. Is the risk realistically very low for a clearly labeled fan replica server like this, even if it grows to 1,000–2,000+ concurrent players and gets significant search traffic spillover? Or does scale increase common-law trademark risks noticeably?

4. Any other red flags or things to watch for in situations like this?

I'm curious because I see similar fan replicas in other Minecraft communities (Lifesteal, Dream SMP clones) running for years without issues, but I want to understand if/when growth could change that. Thanks in advance for any general guidance or informed opinions.