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 ]
Ahead of this week's Readmagine, Dosdoce's Javier Celaya issues a new report on Spanish-language audiobooks and ebooks in 2022. The post Dosdoce: Growing Sales in Spanish-Language Audiobooks appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-06-05 14:37:57 UTC ]
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The Harry Potter publisher ascribes its record profits to a hunger for affordable diversion. That’s the magic of booksIn the gloom of a UK economy teetering on the edge of recession, a glittering puff of smoke wafted up last week from the publisher that will for ever be associated with Harry... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-06-04 17:25:05 UTC ]
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The prehistoric age has been stuck in a cultural rut since Jurassic Park. As a palaeontologist, I’m glad to see this era is overThe utterly extraordinary Prehistoric Planet has returned this week for a second season and, as a palaeontologist, I remain utterly enthralled by the whole thing. You... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-05-26 11:08:56 UTC ]
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Seemingly overnight, Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, went from cryptocurrency wunderkind to wanted for questioning by the FBI. After years of unfettered success, the walls of SBF's blockchain empire came crumbling down around him as his tricky financial feats failed and his generalized... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-05-14 14:30:33 UTC ]
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The biggest news in tech this week came from Google's annual developer conference on Wednesday. They announced three new devices: The Pixel 7a smartphone, the Pixel Tablet and the Pixel Fold. Discounts on brand new products don't happen often, but both Amazon and Google were quick to bundle... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-05-12 15:15:04 UTC ]
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In books for adults as a sub-category, audio surpassed ebooks for the first time, according to February's StatShot. The post US February Statshot: Audio in Adult Titles Surpasses Ebooks appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-05-11 17:31:45 UTC ]
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Writers B.J. Best, Andrew Ervin, and Brittney Morris join co-hosts V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell live from the Unbound Book Festival in Columbia, Missouri to discuss the narrative realms of video games and the evolving space they inhabit. The group reminisces about their first... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-05-04 08:53:59 UTC ]
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Amazon just announced the impending launch of Fire TV Channels, allowing customers access to a wide variety of “premium, free content” on Fire streaming sticks, streaming boxes, and, of course, Fire-branded televisions. The company promises there will be no forced sign-ups or fees associated... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-05-01 23:00:56 UTC ]
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Two factors had an effect on the deals we saw this week: spring sales and early Mother's Day promotions. Even if you don't need a gift for a mom or it's still cold (or weirdly summery hot) where you are, you can snag a decent price on some of our recommended tech. Like our top budget robot... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-04-28 18:00:16 UTC ]
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I’ve been a notebook person for most of my life. I’ve had dozens of notebooks over the years that served as repositories for to-do lists, story ideas, messages jotted down during meetings and everything in between. But at a certain point in my adult life, I turned away from physical notebooks... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-04-18 13:00:37 UTC ]
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Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, recently signed the copyright law. Its provisions will be beneficial only if it is well implemented. Continue reading at The Conversation
[ The Conversation | 2023-04-11 14:35:53 UTC ]
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Anyone who stares at a screen all day probably doesn’t want to do so when they unwind with a book. But the convenience of getting a new read instantaneously and carrying a full bookcase in your pocket is pretty appealing. Ereaders combine the best of paper and computers, and they’re capable of... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-04-04 13:00:13 UTC ]
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The beloved online athenaeum just lost a big court case. Librarians fear it’ll make ebooks less accessible. So why are some writers cheering? Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2023-03-31 13:00:00 UTC ]
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A Chicago-based independent publisher has responded to the recent attack on Black History by offering free books. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-02-08 16:46:55 UTC ]
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Ebook piracy has long been a problem of publishing. How easy it is to pirate ebooks these days? And how do book thieves do it? Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-01-24 11:37:00 UTC ]
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The memoir, which includes claims Prince William attacked him, records figures of 400,000 on its first day Prince Harry’s autobiography has become the UK’s fastest-selling nonfiction book ever, recording figures of 400,000 on its first day on sale.The controversial memoir Spare has made... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-01-10 19:17:17 UTC ]
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If you're looking to pick up a new tablet for the holidays, a number of slates we recommend are on sale for Cyber Monday. Most of the best discounts are holdovers from Black Friday, but that still means a range of iPads, Amazon Fire tablets and Microsoft Surface PCs are down to their lowest... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-11-28 14:00:12 UTC ]
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Streaming services are getting more expensive, and it doesn’t help that it seems like all the good stuff is spreading out a lot more. If you’re feeling the cable-style pinch of increasing prices and ever-expanding subscriptions, you should check out this deal on Hulu. You can get access to the... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2022-11-23 11:00:00 UTC ]
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In the first half of 2022, consumers bought more ebooks per capita and paid more for them, offsetting a smaller buyers' base. The post Germany’s Ebook Market January to June: ‘Slight Growth’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-09-21 22:30:20 UTC ]
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Close to 600 titles will be part of the new, accessible 'Ebooks for Everyone' initiative from the Literary Press Group of Canada. The post Canada’s Literary Press Group: Accessible Ebooks appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-08-09 14:58:40 UTC ]
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