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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Some Disney movies unavailable on Amazon in apparent contract dispute

Maleficent and Captain America among films affected Online retailer already in dispute with Hachette Book GroupAmazon.com has halted pre-orders of some Disney movies, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, in what appears to be another contract dispute after the online giant began a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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USA Today owner Gannett to spin off publishing arm

Media giant to create two companies, one of which will focus on broadcasting and digital content and the other on publishingGannett, the publisher of USA Today, is to take full ownership of the auto website Cars.com and spin off its publishing assets into a publicly traded company as it focuses... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-08-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Logitech TogetherWeGame will make you a game developer -- no skills needed

Growing up as a computer nerd, I remember thinking that I would learn how to program, so I could develop my own video games. I think this is a dream that many nerds share. I remember that my dad bought me a huge book on programming and after about 5 pages, I gave up and began reading comic books... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2014-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Is Experimenting With A New Homepage Design

The newer, flatter design puts Kindle, Fire, and Prime categories front and center.Amazon has unveiled a new homepage design to select users, placing a new emphasis on the retail giant's biggest brands: the Kindle ebook platform, its Fire lineup of tablets and smartphones, and the Prime... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-07-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Comic-Con Preview Night: New Books From Image, Dark Horse, Archie, D&Q

The traditional kickoff night for Comic-Con attracted the usual mob of fans looking to get their first glimpse of a show floor full of comics, games, TV shows and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Chris Colfer Doesn’t Want to Know What the Internet Thinks of Him

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[ AdWeek | 2014-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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12 Great Graphic Novel Adaptations

Everything from novels to movies, video games, and even government reports have been given the graphic novel treatment. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The real 'fire' in Amazon's smartphone? A shopping spree

You’d be forgiven for thinking Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos wants to compete with other phone makers with his company’s new Fire smartphone. But forget the multiple cameras and pretty 3-D-like effects, the device is really about selling more stuff.The Fire comes with close ties to Amazon’s online... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Fortune and Money Websites Go to War With Old Partner CNNMoney

Fortune and Money magazines each rolled out their own websites Sunday, ending a long partnership with CNNMoney.com under which their digital content had been subsumed in the larger site.The collaboration is coming to an end because the magazines' and CNN's family is splitting up: Time Warner is... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-06-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook announces listening feature

Facebook is to release a new feature on its mobile app that will listen to and identify your music and TV shows before publishing them in a status update. Continue reading at BBC World

[ BBC World | 2014-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tinicum Acquires Majority Stake in F+W

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Humble Bundle Releasing Doctorow Audiobook

Humble Bundle, the online venture that distributes bundles of digital content for a price decided by the consumer, is releasing its third bundle of ebooks, including a self-produced DRM-free audiobook of Cory Doctorow's novel "Homeland." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Is Raising The Cost Of Prime Membership

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[ Fast Company | 2014-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HP donates $250,000 to women studying IT Security

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[ Betanews | 2014-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BuzzFeed's 'Real Women' Video Strikes Controversial Chord

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[ AdWeek | 2014-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kickstarter Loves This Children's Book That Gets Kids Excited About Coding

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[ Fast Company | 2014-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Litblogger meets reality star in Mark Haskell Smith's 'Raw'

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[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Autumn statement: UK's special effects industry cheered by tax relief plan

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[ The Guardian | 2013-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon now allows you to gift Prime, just in time for the holidays

If you're still looking for gift ideas for that special someone, Amazon is looking to lend a hand. The online retailer has announced that customers can now give a $79 one-year membership to Prime. Recipients will get an email on the day of the giver's choosing with instructions on how to get... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-11-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Prolific TV creator Shonda Rhimes will write 'part memoir, part inspiration' book (+video)

Shonda Rhimes is the creator of the TV shows 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Private Practice,' and 'Scandal.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-11-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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