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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W&N buys Joanna Lumley memoir

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Thu, 24/02/2011 - 09:39 Weidenfeld & Nicolson has bought rights to an illustrated memoir by actress Joanna Lumley, which will be published this autumn. Michael Dover, Orion's outgoing non-fiction editorial in chief bought world rights from Anthony... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing proliferates thanks to POD and digital

Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Wed, 23/02/2011 - 09:35 Print on demand, digital and self-publishing are continuing to push up the number of books published in the UK and overseas, according to new output data issued by Nielsen Book. The statistics also reveal that the number of new... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hearst Magazines Digital Media Announces Staff Changes

Hearst Magazines Digital Media announced several changes to its roster today. Julie Hocheiser is now site director for Seventeen.com. Hocheiser served previously as the senior web editor for the Hearst Teen Network. Neha Gandhi also joined Seventeen.com as a web editor. Gandhi is the former... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-02-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Forbes Launching Digital Ad Platform

Forbes is launching an ad platform that combines the Forbes Media Network with a new audience segmentation effort called FAST and offers custom units that blend advertising with content according to user preferences. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Usborne buys Gym Stars series

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Are digital comics the hero or villain?

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[ Baltimore Sun | 2011-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Informa cites digital and overseas for increased profit

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HC buys children's trilogy

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google Announces Payment System for Digital Content

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[ The New York Times | 2011-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Digital growth will put a strain on bricks & mortar, says Orion's Roche

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Salt launches digital romance imprint

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple Unveils Digital Subscription Service

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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barbara Cartland is latest author to be wooed by digital

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Pitfalls of E-Book Buying: What to Look Out for Before You Purchase

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[ PC World | 2011-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Literacy still crucial in digital age, says Mollet

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Octopus buys feisty cake cookbook

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperCollins buys Paul Merson memoir

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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