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

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Local Entrepreneurs Buy Rainy Day Books

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-10-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Turner Buys West Margin Press

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-10-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Prime Video will stream NFL Black Friday games starting in 2023

Amazon doesn't want to limit itself to streaming football games on Thursday nights. The internet giant has struck a deal with the NFL for Prime Video to livestream a yearly match on Black Friday, the day after American Thanksgiving. The first game airs November 24th, 2023 at about 3PM Eastern,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-10-19 21:10:50 UTC ]
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Which Kindle should you buy? What to look for in an Amazon e-reader

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[ Fast Company | 2022-10-14 08:05:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble is Offering Buy One, Get One 50% Off on Hundreds of Books

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[ Book Riot | 2022-10-13 17:01:37 UTC ]
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Amazon will knock an extra $20 off if you buy two Kindles

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RBmedia Buys German Audio Publisher

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-10-06 04:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperCollins Buys Cider Mill Press

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WATCH: Saeed Jones on the Apocalypse as a State of Being

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The Morning After: Nintendo’s next Zelda game has a release date

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[ Engadget | 2022-09-14 11:31:52 UTC ]
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Scholastic Buys Learning Ovations

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Daunt Addresses Furor over Middle Grade Fiction Buying Policy

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Penguin Random House’s C.E.O. Defends Bid to Buy Simon & Schuster

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