A topic from AEG's L5R CCG Rules forum, copied for Oracle of the Void from a copy of the forum saved in October 2015, so pages it didn't save are missing. Players' names are left out; the rules officials are named. Rulings are as they stood on these dates; later rulings, the rulebooks and the Rules Archive may differ.
Does The Shadowed Estate of the Scorpion negate the gold producing ability of a holding it named?
Can a holding's gold producing ability affected by Coastal Pearl Bed be taken?
Can a holding's gold producing ability affected by Yukihime's Hot Springs be used?
Is there a difference between "cannot be taken" and "cannot be used"?
Does The Shadowed Estate of the Scorpion negate the gold producing ability of a holding it named?
Can a holding's gold producing ability affected by Coastal Pearl Bed be taken?
Can a holding's gold producing ability affected by Yukihime's Hot Springs be used?
Only if it *actually* is an ability. More often than not, and I believe it's the case in 100% of the holdings with Ivory legality, gold production is a trait, and those aren't prevented by the Scorpion stronghold.
Nw, in Legacy / Big Deck etc. there are a few cards with gold-producing Reactions (Barley Farm comes to my mind) that would be affected.
Please remember that abilities are pieces of text preceded by an ability designator. Those are Limited, Open, Battle, Engage, Interrupt, Dynasty, and in older formats, Reaction. If it is not preceded by any of those, it is NOT an ability and therefore it doesn't follow the action procedure nor is affected by effects that refer to "actions" or "abilities".
Is there a difference between "cannot be taken" and "cannot be used"?
One is used for actions (game procedure) and the other for abilities (card text) but they're essentially equivalent.