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 ]

Other news stories related to: "Steam now explicitly states you don’t own the digital games you’re buying"

The best Cyber Monday deals on tablets that we could find

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 ]
More news stories like this

Score a year of Hulu for just $2 a month for Black Friday

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 ]
More news stories like this

Germany’s Ebook Market January to June: ‘Slight Growth’

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 ]
More news stories like this

Canada’s Literary Press Group: Accessible Ebooks

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 ]
More news stories like this

Are Ebooks on the Decline Again?

As sales continue to take a nosedive in the beginning of 2022, it raises a question on the state of ebooks: are they on the decline again? Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-07-28 10:31:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Libraries Save Lives: 8 Horror Movies and TV Shows Where Research Happens at the Library

Is there anything you can't find at a library? These 10 scenes from horror movies and TV shows prove that libraries save lives. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-07-25 10:36:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

YA Fantasy eBooks On Sale for $3-4 This Week

Here are some of the most popular YA fantasy novels you can grab now for under $5! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-06-08 14:20:51 UTC ]
More news stories like this

LGBTQ YA eBooks On Sale for $2-3 for Pride!

More than 20 popular LGBTQ YA ebooks are on sale for under $5 on Amazon right now. Grab these deals while they last! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-06-07 15:52:23 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Amazon no longer offers in-app Kindle and Music purchases on Android

If you use Amazon’s Kindle app on Android, you may have noticed the software doesn't offer the option to buy and rent ebooks or subscribe to the company’s Kindle Unlimited service anymore. Amazon announced the change last month and more recently began notifying customers of the move via email.If... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-05-31 16:17:08 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Amazon's Kindle will finally add epub support

It only took about 15 years, but Amazon’s Kindle will finally support the ePub format. First spotted by Good E-Reader, Amazon updated its Kindle section with the news that the Send to Kindle function will convert ePub files to a format that can be opened on the e-reader. The update is scheduled... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-05-03 00:25:01 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Amazon is bringing mobile games to its Amazon Kids+ service

Amazon is bringing two mobile games to its subscription-based entertainment platform for children. Known as Amazon Kids+, the $2.99 per month service has served as sort of a one-stop shop for kid-friendly books, TV shows, movies, games and more. The first game, Super Spy Ryan is a multiplayer... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-04-14 13:00:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Brooklyn Library Offers Access to Banned eBooks to Teens Across the U.S.

The UnBanned Books initiative will give anyone in the U.S. between 13-21 a free eCard, giving them access to frequently challenged ebooks. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-04-13 16:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Charlie Brooker: ‘Mr Dystopia? That makes me sound like a wrestler’

As he releases the latest fruits of his new megabucks deal with Netflix – an interactive cartoon about a cat – the Black Mirror creator discusses gaming, nuclear war, and why his generation has wrecked the UKCharlie Brooker is sitting at a desk, a big cardboard box in the background, miscellany... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-02-21 06:00:24 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Gumroad faces backlash over alleged NFT ambitions

Just as many of the ugliest online fights begin these days, Brian "Box" Brown, an Eisner-winning illustrator and comic artist, sent a seemingly innocuous tweet. It read, in part, "my former regular freelance employer has let me know they'll be...Embracing NFTs 🙃 so...we had to part ways." The... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-02-08 21:00:47 UTC ]
More news stories like this

How to save money on buying books – or get them for free

From using your local library and supporting independent bookshops, to borrowing virtuallyMany websites offer ebooks and audiobooks at no cost. Project Gutenberg lists more than 67,000 out-of-copyright titles which can be read online or downloaded in a wide range of formats. Similarly, Librivox... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-01-31 07:00:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Hitting the Books: The decades-long fight to bring live television to deaf audiences

The Silent Era of cinema was perhaps its most equitable with both hearing and hearing-impaired viewers able to enjoy productions alongside one another, but with the advent of "talkies," deaf and hard-of-hearing American's found themselves largely excluded from this new dominant entertainment... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-01-29 16:30:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this

The (wonderful, life-saving) Libby app is becoming more accessible.

The Libby app came into my life early in the pandemic, when in-person trips to the library weren’t possible and indie bookstores were up against massive USPS delays. The app—which allows users to instantly borrow ebooks from their local libraries—was an incredible gift. Twenty-two months, one... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-01-03 17:41:14 UTC ]
More news stories like this

All the 'fun' gifts our grown-up staff would like to receive

We at Engadget spend a lot of time thinking about the best tech gifts for anyone and everyone in your life. But during that process, we often can’t help but think about the things we’d like to receive as gifts. We encourage everyone to treat themselves in some way while scrambling to find gifts... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2021-11-11 15:30:08 UTC ]
More news stories like this

A few ideas for how TV shows about book publishing could include more Lit Hub.

I’ve recently been enjoying season two of the HBO Max series Love Life. I enjoyed season one because it felt like a combination of an extended rom-com and listening to someone talk about their first dates, two genres I enjoy. Season two is even better, because it stars William Jackson Harper... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-11-05 19:27:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this