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

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


Amy Poehler buys film rights to Hodder's feminist YA novel

Hodder Children’s Books, part of the Hachette Children’s Group, has acquired Moxie, a "timely and empowering" feminist YA novel from US author Jennifer Mathieu. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-04-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hodder children #feminist ya #hachette children


Nat Geo teams up with Mashable, theSkimm and others for new digital venture

Nat Geo is bringing together digital publishers and adventure-seekers to create social content -- and sell it to advertisers. The post Nat Geo teams up with Mashable, theSkimm and others for new digital venture appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2017-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital venture #nat geo #digital publishers


Multi-state search targets man who posted Facebook video of himself shooting a stranger

Authorities in several states were on the lookout Monday for a man police say shot a Cleveland retiree collecting aluminum cans and then posted video of the apparently random killing on Facebook. "He could be nearby. He could be far away or anywhere in between," FBI agent Stephen Anthony said on... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-04-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #posted video


Publish or Plug In? Debating Academic Books and Digital Dynamics

'I completely disagree with the phrase "publish or perish," says one voice in academic publishing. So what does the digital disruption disrupt? The post Publish or Plug In? Debating Academic Books and Digital Dynamics appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-04-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #academic publishing


Viking buys McCarten on Churchill’s ‘Darkest Hour’

Viking has acquired rights to Darkest Hour by Anthony McCarten, a non-fiction narrative history of Winston Churchill’s wartime leadership. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #winston churchill #darkest hour


A New Digital Revenue Driver Delivers for Publisher and Their Clients

[Sponsored] Mining Media International implemented Xposure’s FlockXchange platform to change their digital strategy while bringing in new revenue. The post A New Digital Revenue Driver Delivers for Publisher and Their Clients appeared first on Folio:. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2017-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital strategy


How top digital publishers are set up to get into show business

BuzzFeed, Bleacher Report, Mashable and Refinery29 want to get into show business. Here's how they are set up to do it. The post How top digital publishers are set up to get into show business appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2017-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bleacher report


Kobo will sell discounted digital copies of your paper books

Kobo, the Canadian e-reader titan, has snapped up a little-known ebook platform called Shelfie and will incorporate its features into its apps. Shelfie was a service that sold digital copies of print books you already own at a discount before it shu... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2017-04-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #paper books #print books


The Times of London sees success in an editions approach to digital publishing

"General news is a commodity and hard to charge for as it’s free everywhere. We’re focusing on what’s truly distinctive." The post The Times of London sees success in an editions approach to digital publishing appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2017-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital publishing


PRH Buys Spain's Ediciones B for Rumored €40 Million

Penguin Random House has agreed to buy major Barcelona-based publisher Ediciones B for a rumored €40 million, further consolidating its power in Spanish-language markets. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #spanish-language markets


Get a $20 Discount If You Buy 3 Echo Dots on Amazon, For A Limited Time - Deal Alert

Echo Dot is a hands-free, voice-controlled device that uses Alexa to play music, control smart home devices, provide information, read the news, set alarms, read audiobooks from Audible, and more. In fact, new Alexa "skills" are being created all the time. Tell Alexa to start your usual order at... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2017-04-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #echo dot #voice-controlled device #play music #provide information #quietly published


Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition is a fine remaster of an exhilarating game, at a not-so-fine price

I feel very conflicted about Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition, a.k.a. Bulletstorm: Remastered. Not so much about the game itself—People Can Fly’s shooter is unabashedly dumb, but in a fun “We did this on purpose” way that mostly works. And the Skill Shot system (more on that later) is still... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2017-04-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Gosling goes from Bologna to Milano with two LGBT buys

Macmillan Children’s Books (MCB) has won world rights at auction for two LBGT-themed romance books written by a former Waterstones bookseller. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-04-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #macmillan children #books mcb #waterstones bookseller


DreamWorks buys rights to new Cressida Cowell series

DreamWorks Animation, the company behind the highly successful film franchise for Cressida Cowell's How to Train Your Dragon series, has now acquired all adaptation rights to Cowell's forthcoming fantasy adventure series The Wizards of Once. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-04-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #cressida cowell #dreamworks animation #dragon series


Kindle Entertainment buys TV rights to fishing thriller

Kindle Entertainment has acquired the TV rights to Nick Fisher’s debut novel Pot Luck (Peridot Press), a dark thriller set in a south coast fishing community. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle entertainment #tv rights


Microsoft Unveils Digital Bookstore

Microsoft, which was Barnes & Noble's original partner on the Nook (before ending the relationship in 2014), is now back in the digital book market. According to reports, the tech giant's new online bookstore will sell hundred of thousands of frontlist and backlist titles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #barnes noble #tech giant #online bookstore #backlist titles


Audible buys rights to Robyn Travis memoir

OWN IT! has sold audio rights to Prisoner to the Streets by Robyn Travis to Audible. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


NEH Funds Digitization of PEN International Archives at UT Austin

The politically beleaguered National Endowment for the Humanities has granted $195,000 to the Ransom Center at the University of Texas to catalog and digitize the archives of free speech organization PEN International. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


How to buy and read ebooks in Edge as part of the Windows 10 Creators Update

As part of the blitz of new features in the Windows 10 Creators Update (see our full review here), Microsoft has added e-reading capabilities to its Edge browser. It’s a bit quirky, given its infancy, but with a bit of practice you can be lounging by the pool with an electronic novel in no... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2017-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #read ebooks #edge browser #kindle app


Inside The “Mythical” Minds And Digital Empire Of YouTube Pioneers Rhett & Link

For as long as Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal have been creating YouTube videos and for all the success they’ve had doing it, they still feel like they’re navigating uncharted territory. Since joining YouTube in 2006, Rhett and Link, whose friendship dates back to first grade in North Carolina,... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2017-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #field guide #daily show #early days