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'


Publishers need to "stand firm" against digital giants

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Mon, 08/08/2011 - 16:08 Literary agent Andrew Wylie has said publishers need to "stand firm" in the face of digital companies like Amazon and Apple or risk being locked into an insupportable business model that is unable to reward writers. In an... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #stand firm #digital giants #digital companies #literary agent #digital distributors


HC buys Big Fat Gypsy memoir

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Fri, 05/08/2011 - 11:07 HarperCollins has bought the life story of Thelma Madine, the dressmaker from the Channel 4 documentary series “My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding”. World rights were bought by Vicky McGeown, commissioning editor for Harper non-fiction,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #life story #world rights #harper non-fiction


Humphreys makes first buys for Serpents Tail

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Fri, 05/08/2011 - 11:05 A book dubbed “Watership Down meets True Grit” is among Sam Humphreys’ first acquisitions at Serpent’s Tail since she moved from Picador. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #serpents tail #sam humphreys


Digital and high r.r.p.s hitting hardback sales

Written By: Charlotte Williams and Philip Stone Publication Date: Fri, 05/08/2011 - 09:00 Publishers and independent booksellers are stressing the importance of "working harder" on hardback fiction titles, as sales of the format fell by £3.2m over the first half of 2011. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #charlotte williams #independent booksellers #working harder


Why Did Facebook Buy Push Pop Press?

The purchase sets off speculation about publishing ambitions at Facebook, and puts renewed focus on its highly-anticipated iPad app. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-08-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Sceptre buys new novel by Cold Mountain author

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Wed, 03/08/2011 - 09:10 Sceptre has acquired the latest novel by Cold Mountain author Charles Frazier, to be published on 27th September 2011. Publishing director Carolyn Mays bought British Commonwealth, excluding Canada, rights in the title,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #karolina sutton #curtis brown #amanda urban


Digital sales double at S&S, international "booming"

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 03/08/2011 - 09:20 Digital sales more than doubled at Simon & Schuster in its second-quarter but did not offset the decline in print. However, the publisher reported an increase in profits of 12% off the back of the shift to digital and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #simon schuster #publisher reported


Facebook buys innovative ebook publisher Push Pop Press

Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Wed, 03/08/2011 - 09:14 Facebook has bought the innovative ebook publisher Push Pop Press but will not use the company to publish ebooks. The giant social networking website will instead use PPP's platform and technology to give "people even richer... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publish ebooks


Orion buys Battlefield tie-in novel by McNab

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 03/08/2011 - 11:36 Orion has bought world rights to an Andy McNab novel tying into the forthcoming Battlefield 3 videogame. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #andy mcnab


Quercus buys two more from Clarke

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 02/08/2011 - 08:53 Quercus has bought another two books by its young adult fiction author Cat Clarke. Roisin Heycock, editorial director at Quercus Children's Books, bought the rights from Victoria Birkett of Miles Stott. The first of the two... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #quercus buys #quercus children #teenage girl


Sage buys Learning Matters

Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Tue, 02/08/2011 - 15:11 Academic and professional publisher Sage has bought Learning Matters, the independent education publisher founded in 1999. The sale, for an undisclosed sum, was announced jointly by Learning Matters founder and managing... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #announced jointly #ziyad marar #learning matters


Ebury reveals 'Less Ordinary' digital list

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 02/08/2011 - 09:03 Ebury has launched a digital imprint, initially focusing on abridged versions of Ebury's narrative non-fiction titles, called Lives Less Ordinary. Deputy publisher Andrew Goodfellow is behind the new range of digital... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital imprint #digital shorts


Financial Times Grows Paid Digital Subs 34 Percent in First Half 2011

While many publishers are still grappling with the question of digital properties and revenue, The Financial Times continues to reap positive benefits from its paid collection model, according to first half 2011 financials released Friday. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital properties


Pan Mac buys third book from Orion's Wright

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 01/08/2011 - 14:32 Pan Macmillan has bought the third novel by Orion senior rights manager Pippa Wright, entitled The Foster Husband. Senior commissioning editor for fiction Jenny Geras acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Andrew Kidd... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #andrew kidd


Penguin's sales and profits fall in first half as digital rises

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 29/07/2011 - 09:30 Penguin reported lower sales and profits in the first half of 2011 as it adjusted to the "unprecedented challenges" afflicting the publishing sector including the loss of high street booksellers in the US and Australia... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #profits fall #e-book sales #unprecedented challenges #operating profit


Waterstone's managers await buying change

Written By: Lisa Campbell and Graeme Neill Publication Date: Fri, 29/07/2011 - 09:25 Store managers at Waterstone’s have been reacting with mixed feelings and some confusion to James Daunt’s plans to reintroduce centralised buying into the chain bookseller, as they await more details about the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #lisa campbell #mixed feelings #chain bookseller


Indie publishers ready digital editions and reprints after Booker fillip

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Wed, 27/07/2011 - 09:10 The smaller publishers whose titles have been selected for the Man Booker longlist, including Seren Books, Sandstone Press and Oneworld, are preparing to reprint the titles and release digital versions to meet the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #smaller publishers #sandstone press


Latest Digital IQ Index Says Top-Ranked TIME is “Genius”

TIME is ranked number one in the latest Digital IQ Index from "digital innovation think tank" L2 that measures the digital aptitude and ad revenue-per-page of 87 magazine brands.The rankings were developed by NYU Stern professor Scott Galloway. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-07-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital innovation


The Atlantic Says Digital Up 42 Percent, Print Up 9 Percent in 2Q

After posting its first profit in decades in 2010, The Atlantic says it continues to see gains in 2011, with digital advertising up 42 percent and print advertising revenue up 9 percent in the second quarter, compared to the same period last year. Digital advertising is also up 23 percent for... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-07-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital advertising


Digital makes 75% of Informa sales

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 26/07/2011 - 08:55 Digital is accounting for 75% of Taylor & Francis' parent company Informa's publishing sales, as it revealed half-year profits increased by 14.3% to £55.2m. For the first half of 2011, Informa's sales increased by 1.7% to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #taylor francis #publishing sales #sales increased