Steam now explicitly states you don’t own the digital games you’re buying

Have you ever bought an app or game from a digital storefront, only for it to suddenly disappear and become inaccessible without warning? It’s both confusing and frustrating, which is why some governments are stepping in and hoping to make things clearer for consumers. Gavin Newsom, governor of California, recently signed a new law (AB 2426) that involves the purchasing of digital goods and services. Under the new law, online storefronts that sell digital copies of video games, music, movies, TV shows, and ebooks must be explicit as to whether customers actually own what they’re purchasing. Some digital services are already adapting to the new regulations, which aren’t set to be enforced until next year. Steam is one such company, having already implemented a change in the Steam storefront that explicitly notifies customers that they’re purchasing “a license for the product on Steam” and don’t actually own the game outright. What does that mean for you? Well, a license is just permission for you to access content that’s provided by the service (i.e., the game). If the content is made unavailable for whatever reason, you aren’t entitled to access in perpetuity. (As opposed to buying a digital download, in which case you’re buying permission to download and keep said files.) According to Engadget, this new wording in Steam is used in all countries and territories, not just the United States. Further reading: Why digital games can vanish in a heartbeat Continue reading at 'PC World'

[ PC World | 2024-10-11 19:19:30 UTC ]
News tagged with: #game outright #digital services #digital download #explicitly states #digital games #digital storefront #suddenly disappear #gavin newsom #recently signed #digital goods #online storefronts #video games #tv shows #made unavailable #ebooks

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Steam now explicitly states you don’t own the digital games you’re buying'


BiblioBoard: New Sales Channel for Digital Content

Created by the founders of BookSurge, the print-on-demand vendor acquired by Amazon, BiblioBoard is a new app and e-publishing platform that offers a library of public domain content bundled into subject category anthologies. The BiblioBoard app offers these BiblioLife anthologies at different... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sales channel #digital content #publish content


Québec’s Digital Book Warehouse: Publishing in Quebec 2012

Every minute, a title is added—5150 rue des Ormes, I Hate Hockey, L’envers de l’assiette, À fleur de peau; every hour, a new author is categorized—Patrick Senécal, François Barcelo, Laure Waridel, Martine Latulippe; every day, a new publisher signs on—Alire, Baraka Books, Écosociété, Québec... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-09-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Gauld joins Egmont as digital publisher

Egmont has appointed Stephanie Gauld, the former head of Disney Online Studios, to the newly... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital publisher


SF Chronicle Launches 49ers Digital Magazine

The San Francisco Chronicle launched its 49ers Insider digital magazine last week in advance of the team’s season-opener against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2012-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


New digital role at HC for Winbolt

HarperCollins has created a new role for Eric Winbolt to emphasise its focus on digital... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital role


'Glamour' for Pan Mac with Taylor buy

Pan Macmillan has acquired two novels from Lulu Taylor, previously published by Arrow.... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pan mac #pan macmillan #previously published


Tesco buys Mobcast

Tesco has bought digital book platform Mobcast for £4.5m in a bid to strengthen its digital... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Razorbill UK buys 'New Adult' star

Razorbill, the teenage imprint of Penguin Children's, has done the first English language... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #penguin children #english language


New York bookshop launches rescue mission to digitize out-of-print sci-fi titles

Singularity & Co aims to rescue near-extinct 20th century sci-fi titles to ensure they still exist in the next one. Established from a Kickstarter campaign, the small team has already digitized and published A Plunge Into Space and The Torch, both with new cover art, while its third title... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-09-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #cover art #ars technica #reviving interest #email thiscomments


Taking Storytelling Digital

Eli Horowitz does not think of himself as someone who “fetishizes the book.” But he’s also seen what books become, in digital form, and has not always been impressed. A former managing editor and publisher at McSweeney’s, Horowitz describes much of what he has seen in the digital revolution in... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-09-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #eli horowitz #book publishing #print book #digital form #managing editor #digital revolution #major project


Publishers Beef Up Digital Deals

In recent weeks a number of big consumer magazine and newspaper publishers have expanded their ability to deliver digital advertising in a variety of formats with acquisitions and investments in digital ad platforms. The deals continue a long-term tr ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishers beef #recent weeks #newspaper publishers #long-term tr


States reach $69 million settlement with three publishers in ebook price fixing case

When the US Department of Justice sued Apple and five major book publishers over alleged ebook price rigging, it immediately became clear that a few of these companies would do just about anything to avoid trial. That same day, three of the publishers -- HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster and... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-08-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #simon schuster #bought ebooks #barnes noble #abc news #give customers


E-book Publishers Reach $69 Million Settlement With States

Three book publishers will pay more than US$69 million to U.S. states to settle charges they collaborated to fix prices of ebooks. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2012-08-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book publishers #fix prices


Templar starts digital picture book releases

  Templar is readying its first ebook picture book releases for this autumn, as it... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-08-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Barnsley: digital 50% of revenue in 18 months

HarperCollins UK c.e.o. Victoria Barnsley has predicted that half her company’s revenue... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-08-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #victoria barnsley #harpercollins uk


PA: digital crucial to campus retail future

As the start of the student year approaches, academic booksellers have been warned that shunning... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-08-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #academic booksellers


First UK Nook Christmas could see digital 'step change'

Analysts have predicted that this Christmas could herald a "real step change" for... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-08-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #step change


News Corp parts ways with chief digital officer Jonathan Miller

News Corporation is parting company with chief digital officer Jonathan Miller at the end of September, ahead of the separation of its publishing and entertainment business. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2012-08-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #news corporation #entertainment business


Hot Key hires Orringer, extends digital

Hot Key Books has hired Amy Orringer as digital coordinator as the children's publisher... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-08-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Open Road buys US rights to British erotica trilogy

In its first frontlist deal with agency Conville & Walsh, US digital publisher Open Road has... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-08-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |