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 ]

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New York Times to buy subscription sports site the Athletic for $550m

Acquisition of 2016 startup and its 1.2 million subscribers puts newspaper on target for 10 million paid subscriptions The New York Times has agreed to buy subscription-based sports site the Athletic for $550m (£400m) in cash, as the 170-year-old newspaper adds more digital content to grab... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-01-06 23:27:19 UTC ]
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OverDrive Reports More than Half a Billion Digital Library Loans in 2021

In exceeding more than 500 million annual lends for the first time, OverDrive's 2021 figures suggest the pandemic has, as librarians have suggested, raised demand for digital content in public libraries. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-01-05 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Join the #FReadom Letter Writing Campaign to Combat Censorship!

The #FReadom campaign is asking you to write your school board with provided templates to support school libraries and access to information. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-01-04 11:39:00 UTC ]
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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

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New York's library e-book licensing bill vetoed as Maryland challenge looms

The Association of American Publishers (AAP) has welcomed the decision by New York Governor Kathy Hochul to veto a bill that would have forced publishers and authors to grant e-book licences to libraries under state-imposed terms. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-31 06:31:54 UTC ]
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8 of the Most Unique Little Free Libraries

Free Little Libraries are delightful to find but some creators take them to a new level. Here are eight unique free little libraries. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-12-30 11:31:00 UTC ]
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Hitting the Books: Amiga and the birth of 256-color gaming

With modern consoles offering gamers graphics so photorealistic that they blur the line between CGI and reality, it's easy forget just how cartoonishly blocky they were in the 8-bit era. In his new book, Creating Q*Bert and Other Classic Arcade Games, legendary game designer and programmer... Continue reading at Engadget

[ 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

Have you ever looked at your mouse and thought "it's fine, but kind of a big fat waste of space?" Gaming accessory company XPG apparently did, because it's just unveiled a concept mouse for CES 2022 with a built-in high-speed SSD drive stuffed inside, Digital Trends has reported. The XPG Vault... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2021-12-24 21:00:55 UTC ]
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The Most Popular Books in U.S. Libraries in 2021

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[ Book Riot | 2021-12-22 14:45:40 UTC ]
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How cooperative gig economy companies managed to flourish during the pandemic

‘What is the hope for gig workers who are underpaid and exploited? Cities, in a way. Cities can have a chance to intervene and actually get things done.’ In the Italian city of Bologna, bicycle couriers delivery bread, freshly baked at local bakeries, to nearby businesses every morning. The same... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2021-12-12 05:00:34 UTC ]
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AAP Sues to Block Maryland, New York Library E-book Laws

The AAP filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking to stop Maryland's library e-book law for taking effect January 1 and also disclosed that it was one of more than 20 organizations to sign a letter to New York governor Kathy Hochul urging her to veto a similar bill. Both pieces of legislation require... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-12-09 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Malcolm X’s Prison Cell Is Transformed Into a Freedom Library

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[ Book Riot | 2021-12-08 15:07:32 UTC ]
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Open Access: Germany’s Knowledge Unlatched Acquired by Wiley

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-12-03 04:15:48 UTC ]
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Why Police Shouldn’t Be in Libraries (And How to Help Change That)

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[ Book Riot | 2021-12-02 11:35:00 UTC ]
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Arturia's V Collection instruments now have native M1 Mac support

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[ Engadget | 2021-11-25 15:00:35 UTC ]
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On Buying Books in Airports

Going to bookstores and libraries as a bookworm offer important experiences, but what buying books in an airport can offer may surprise you. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-11-23 11:36:00 UTC ]
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Nancy Pearl, possibly America’s best-known librarian and recommender of books, shares her thoughts on choosing what to read, and when to stop reading. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2021-11-16 23:20:31 UTC ]
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My Workplace Joined the Fine-Free Library Movement (And Here’s What I Learned)

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[ Book Riot | 2021-11-15 11:30:00 UTC ]
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Cool, elected school district officials are calling for literal book burning now.

Those who have been paying attention to local education news and the critical race theory debate know that many school districts are battling over what materials can be kept in libraries and taught in classrooms. The battle is making its way to the courts: just this week a PEN America report... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-11-11 17:33:10 UTC ]
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