Steam now tells gamers up front that they're buying a license, not a game

Steam appears to have started posting a notice in its shopping cart that purchases on its storefront are only for a license and not a game, according to a notice spotted by Engadget. It looks like an attempt by the company to get ahead of a new California law coming next year that forces companies to admit that buyers don't actually own digital content.  When you open your shopping cart with items inside and before going to payment, a notice at the bottom right states: "A purchase of a digital product grants a license for the product on Steam." This is the first time our editors have seen of a notice like this (and we use Steam a lot), so it appears to be relatively new.  Engadget Last month California governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2426 into law, forcing digital marketplaces to make it clear to customers when they only purchase a license to access media. It will not apply to permanent offline downloads, only digital copies of video games, music, movies, TV shows or ebooks from an online storefront. Companies that fail to comply could face fines for false advertising if they don't explain in clear language the limitations of a given digital purchase. The law followed situations like Ubisoft deleting The Crew from player's libraries after the game's servers shuttered. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/steam-now-tells-gamers-up-front-that-theyre-buying-a-license-not-a-game-085106522.html?src=rss Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2024-10-11 08:51:06 UTC ]
News tagged with: #shopping cart #digital content #digital copies #video games #tv shows #face fines #libraries #ebooks

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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 ]
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The adaptation game

In an overcrowded market with the proliferation of streaming platforms alongside the traditional broadcaster, creating content based on previous IP is an ever-growing trend (see today’s news piece on Netflix). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-26 02:33:21 UTC ]
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A tale for the telling

With the Boris Johnson administration seemingly on the brink, can we be thankful for one last snafu before this ungainly prime minister exits right? Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-22 07:36:15 UTC ]
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Benjamin Zephaniah | 'To tell the real, honest truth about the history of Britain would mean changing the history books'

The latest book by Benjamin Zephaniah follows a Trinidadian woman who boarded the Windrush to pursue her singing dream. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-22 07:13:29 UTC ]
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Hachette UK buys premium notebook and diary publisher Paperblanks

Hachette UK has bought Paperblanks, described as the world’s second largest publisher of premium notebooks, journals and diaries, as part of its strategy to expand its portfolio of adjunct businesses. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-18 09:38:10 UTC ]
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Americans are buying more books—but reading fewer of them than ever. What gives?

The publishing industry is booming. According to Publishers Weekly, sales of print books rose 8.9% in 2021, selling 825.7 million units, up from 757.9 million in 2020. This is the second year in a row to see a similar sales jump; in 2020, sales were up 8.2% from 2019, in which 693.7 million... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-01-12 19:07:42 UTC ]
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Take-Two is acquiring mobile game giant Zynga for $12.7 billion

PC gaming Giant Take-Two has announced that it's making a big move into mobile gaming with the acquisition of Zynga for a total price of approximately $12.7 billion. Take-Two already owns Rockstar Games, Codemasters and 2K, producing games like Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, Bioshock and... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-01-10 13:17:58 UTC ]
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New York Times to buy subscription sports site the Athletic for $550m

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[ The Guardian | 2022-01-06 23:27:19 UTC ]
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The New York Times is buying subscription-based sports site The Athletic

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[ Engadget | 2022-01-06 17:05:15 UTC ]
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RBmedia buys ABOD and launches German arm

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[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-05 13:45:12 UTC ]
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New York's library e-book licensing bill vetoed as Maryland challenge looms

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[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-31 06:31:54 UTC ]
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This village was a book capital. What happens when people stop buying so many books?

Redu, Belgium, was for decades a destination for book lovers. But now more than half of its bookstores have closed. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-12-26 14:43:23 UTC ]
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Hitting the Books: Amiga and the birth of 256-color gaming

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[ Engadget | 2021-12-25 16:30:11 UTC ]
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XPG's concept mouse has an SSD so you can store your games in it

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[ Engadget | 2021-12-24 21:00:55 UTC ]
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'Best Christmas present ever' as Book-ish owners buy their premises

The owners of Welsh independent bookshop Book-ish are celebrating after completing the purchase of their premises with help from a crowdfunder backed by the trade. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-23 07:20:40 UTC ]
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PA backs filing against Maryland law forcing publishers to license library e-books

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[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-20 16:08:03 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury Buys ABC-CLIO for $22.3 Million

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-12-16 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House Defends Effort to Buy Simon & Schuster

The Biden administration has challenged the deal over concerns it would harm authors, but the publisher said that argument is a misunderstanding of how the book industry works. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2021-12-13 17:21:52 UTC ]
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UK magazine firm tells staff they must come into office despite Omicron

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[ The Guardian | 2021-12-10 12:07:58 UTC ]
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Investment Group Led by David Steinberger Buys Open Road

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-12-02 05:00:00 UTC ]
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