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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Amazon reportedly mulls buying Boost from T-Mobile, Sprint

Amazon.com Inc. is interested in acquiring prepaid wireless phone service Boost Mobile from T-Mobile US Inc. and Sprint Corp., Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Amazon is considering buying Boost for an attached wholesale deal that would allow the buyer to use T-Mobile’s... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-05-31 17:33:29 UTC ]
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BookExpo 2019: Max Brooks Knows How to Win the Game of Thrones

Brooks thinks 'Game of Thrones' reminds us of mistaken military assumptions after the Cold War ended. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How Insurance Companies Are Coping with Digital Transformation

The insurance industry is facing its most profound disruption in decades. It is partnering with 'insurtech' startups to digitally transform, says RGAX CEO Dennis Barnes. Continue reading at Knowledge@Wharton

[ Knowledge@Wharton | 2019-05-29 20:03:55 UTC ]
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Book Expo 2019: State of Indie Publishing 'Great, but Sucks'

As Book Expo kicked off Wednesday, Independent Book Publishers Association CEO Angela Bole pointed out during a session on the state of indie publishing that while it presents many opportunities for entrepreneurs, there remain many obstacles to success. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-05-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Canadian Study: Library Patrons Tell Researchers They Buy More Books

New BookNet Canada research indicates that consumers who borrow books from libraries also purchase more books per month than those who don't use libraries. The post Canadian Study: Library Patrons Tell Researchers They Buy More Books appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-05-29 03:14:45 UTC ]
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Tricycle Talent buys minority stake in RML

Talent management collective Tricycle Talent has acquired a minority stake in Rachel Mills Literary (RML).  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-05-27 22:53:46 UTC ]
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Chronicle buys two from Underwood and Hunt

Chronicle Books, which is distributed in the UK and Europe by Abrams & Chronicle Books, has acquired two picture books by Deborah Underwood and Meg Hunt. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-05-27 20:45:38 UTC ]
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‘Digital has its limitations’: DTC brands are testing direct mail

Facebook, Instagram and Google are still the most powerful customer acquisition channels for online brands, but maturing means building a more diversified marketing mix. The post ‘Digital has its limitations’: DTC brands are testing direct mail appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2019-05-24 04:01:40 UTC ]
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Adrienne Brodeur Relives a Lie-Laden Childhood In 'Wild Games'

A mother’s affair involves her young daughter in this heartfelt memoir of love and betrayal. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-05-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Adrienne Brodeur Relives a Lie-Laden Childhood In 'Wild Game'

A mother’s affair involves her young daughter in this heartfelt memoir of love and betrayal. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-05-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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PRH buys 45% stake in Sourcebooks

Sourcebooks has sold a 45% ownership stake to Penguin Random House to enable the American independent publisher to take a “broader and deeper approach to domestic and global markets”. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-05-24 02:11:56 UTC ]
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Huawei devices disappear from Microsoft Store and Best Buy, but remain on Amazon, Newegg

Microsoft appears to have pulled Huawei's Matebook X Pro from its online shelves, and Best Buy, too, has followed suit. Huawei phones and devices are still available from Amazon and Newegg as of this posting, however.Neither the Huawei Matebook X Pro nor the Huawei Matebook 13 appear on... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2019-05-21 19:24:00 UTC ]
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Digital Publishing: Being Transparent Will Help Newspapers Gain the Trust of Readers

It’s hard to go a month these days without seeing yet another report decrying the lack of trust readers have Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2019-05-21 07:00:51 UTC ]
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‘Game of Thrones’ finale sets an HBO record

The much griped-about series finale of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” on Sunday night broke the premium cable network‘s all-time ratings records, as nearly 20 million viewers tuned in to find out who would get to sit on the Uncomfortable Pointy Chair. According to Nielsen live-plus-same-day data, the... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-05-20 20:41:27 UTC ]
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Google blocks Huawei and ‘Game of Thrones’ bows out: Monday Wake-Up Call

Welcome to Ad Age’s Wake-Up Call, our daily roundup of advertising, marketing, media and digital news. You can get an audio version of this briefing on your Alexa device; sign up here.   What people are talking about today: Google has suspended business with Huawei in a move that will severely... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-05-20 10:22:56 UTC ]
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In the end, Game of Thrones needed better writers

Without George RR Martin, the last seasons of the TV spectacular lost their way, says the Observer columnist and GoT enthusiastGame of Thrones final episode review – epic ending corrects some major wrongsThe failure of the final season of Game of Thrones has its cheerful side. Despite the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-05-19 08:00:13 UTC ]
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Snag 8 awesomely fun Lego video games for just $12 while you still can

It’s Friday, and the Humble Store’s offering some dirt-cheap gaming gratification to kick off the weekend. The Humble Lego Games Bundle includes a total of eight games available as Steam codes, and paying just $12 or more unlocks every one. Don’t delay, though: This Humble Bundle expires on... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2019-05-17 14:02:00 UTC ]
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Vanity Fair Digitizes Archives, the Latest on the Quad/LSC Merger and Other Industry Notes

Chris Roush Talking Biz News Founder Ready to Pass the Torch Talking Biz News founder Chris Roush announced on Wednesday that he's ready to move on from the site, which tracks job changes and other day-to-day news in the field of business journalism. "After 14 years of running Talking Biz... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2019-05-16 16:55:48 UTC ]
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Bonnier Corp. Taps New Group Digital Director | People on the Move

[caption id="attachment_158881" align="alignright" width="150"] Amy Schellenbaum[/caption] Bonnier Corp. promoted Amy Schellenbaum to the role of group digital director for Bonnier Media this week. Schellenbaum, who has served as the online director of Popular Science for the past three years,... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2019-05-16 15:40:09 UTC ]
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A bored housewife jumps back into the spy game again in ‘The Paris Diversion’

Chris Pavone’s new novel is as much the story of a modern woman as it is a globe-hopping thriller. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2019-05-16 15:00:00 UTC ]
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