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 ]
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Digital surge fails to affect B&N bottom line

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Osprey on lookout for new buys after refinancing

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Accent buys book by progeria-sufferer Okines

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Prevention Magazine Grows a Digital Network

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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Condé Nast's digital business edges closer to profit

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[ Media Week | 2011-06-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google Officially Buys Admeld

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[ AdWeek | 2011-06-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Quercus buys football title by Constable editor

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google in Talks to Buy AdMeld for $400 Million

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[ AdWeek | 2011-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury launches new digital imprint for out of print titles

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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