Valve fails to get out of paying its EU geo-blocking fine

Valve has failed to convince a court that it didn't infringe EU law by geo-blocking activation keys, according to a new ruling. The company argued that, based on copyright law, publishers had the right to charge different prices for games in different countries. However, the EU General Court confirmed that its geo-blocking actions "infringed EU competition law"and that copyright law didn't apply."Copyright is intended only to ensure for the right holders concerned protection of the right to exploit commercially the marketing or the making available of the protected subject matter, by the grant of licences in return for payment of remuneration," it wrote in a statement. "However, it does not guarantee them the opportunity to demand the highest possible remuneration or to engage in conduct such as to lead to artificial price differences between the partitioned national markets."The original charges centered around activation keys. The commission said Valve and five publishers (Bandai Namco, Capcom, Focus Home, Koch Media and ZeniMax) agreed to use geo-blocking so that activation keys sold in some countries — like Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary and Latvia — would not work in other member states. That would prevent someone in, say, Germany buying a cheaper key in Latvia, where prices are lower. However, doing so violates the EU's Digital Single Market rules, which enforces an open market across the EU. The five developers were given a reduced fine of €7.8 million (over $9.4... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2023-09-27 12:20:53 UTC ]
News tagged with: #koch media #zenimax agreed #czech republic #member states #germany buying #cheaper key #open market #reduced fine #full €1 #locking keys #region locks #local laws #original €1 #ten days #copyright law

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Rupert Murdoch's News Corp strikes deal as Facebook agrees to pay for Australian content

News Corp is the largest media company to sign agreement with Facebook since laws passed by Scott Morrison’s governmentRupert Murdoch’s News Corp says a landmark three-year agreement with Facebook to pay for its Australian content will transform the terms of trade for journalism.Facebook has... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-03-15 23:55:55 UTC ]
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Waterstones shuts Brentwood store after lease talks fail

Waterstones is closing its branch in Brentwood, Essex, saying it was unable to renegotiate the lease. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-03-09 11:37:35 UTC ]
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Some travellers at Toronto's Pearson airport fined for violating new hotel-quarantine rules

Several international travellers arriving at Toronto's Pearson airport have refused to comply with a new rule requiring a hotel quarantine of up to three days, local police said Wednesday. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2021-02-24 23:57:46 UTC ]
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Why it pays to link products to places - and how African countries can do it

Africa needs to take advantage of a copyright law to protect and explore its unique local products. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2021-02-22 14:49:47 UTC ]
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‘I’m afraid of repercussions’: Publishing industry members question Google’s motives in paying off News Corp

Google's News Corp deal may pacify Australian lawmakers, but publishing industry members worry about repercussions for smaller publishers. The post ‘I’m afraid of repercussions’: Publishing industry members question Google’s motives in paying off News Corp appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2021-02-18 05:01:00 UTC ]
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‘I’m afraid of repercussions’: Publishing industry members question Google’s motives in paying off News Corp

Google's News Corp deal may pacify Australian lawmakers, but publishing industry members worry about repercussions for smaller publishers. The post ‘I’m afraid of repercussions’: Publishing industry members question Google’s motives in paying off News Corp appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2021-02-18 05:01:00 UTC ]
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Google will pay News Corp outlets for using their content

Google has signed a three-year agreement to carry content from News Corp publications. In the US, UK and Australia, Google’s News Showcase will now feature stories from The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch and other outlets. The financial terms of th... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2021-02-17 18:42:24 UTC ]
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Indie Bookstores Embrace E-Commerce...and It Pays Off

After a year spent pivoting out of necessirty, booksellers now see online sales as a permanent part of their business model. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-02-05 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors Guild calls for DoJ to block Bertelsmann's S&S purchase

The Authors Guild and other writers' groups in the US have written a letter to the Department of Justice to block Bertelsmann's takeover of Simon & Schuster. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-01 03:48:32 UTC ]
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Hachette 'moving in the right direction' as it cuts gender pay gap

Hachette UK has released its latest gender pay gap report, revealing that the mean gender pay gap for Hachette UK Ltd dropped by four percentage points from 25.9% in 2019 to 21.9% in 2020. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-26 18:43:45 UTC ]
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W H Smith delays Cowling pay rise after shareholders object

W H Smith has delayed a £25,000 pay increase for c.e.o. Carl Cowling after 33% of voting shareholders opposed the company's remuneration plans at this week's annual general meeting. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-20 17:11:37 UTC ]
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‘A force to be reckoned with’– fantasy world pays tribute to Storm Constantine

A pioneering novelist, she was also a passionate publisher, highlighting voices neglected by the mainstream. My life was one of many changed by her enthusiasmStorm Constantine, the fantasy author and book publisher who has died at the age of 64, was a prolific novelist and short-story writer.... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-01-19 11:41:44 UTC ]
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Industry Members Unite to Block Trump Administration Book Deals

In an open letter, more than 250 authors, agents, booksellers, and publishers urged publishers not to sign book deals with members of the Trump Administration or anyone "who incited, suborned, instigated, or otherwise supported the January 6, 2021, coup attempt." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-01-15 05:00:00 UTC ]
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'Bridgerton's' author doesn't want you to pay $800 for her books

Since the Netflix adaptation of the revisionist Regency drama "Bridgerton" premiered on Christmas, Julia Quinn's original book series is in very high demand. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-01-12 18:36:35 UTC ]
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Relief at EU trade agreement but concerns over the 'maze' ahead

Some book trade leaders have expressed relief that the "nightmare" scenario of a no-deal scenario for post-Brexit trade has been averted—but a new burden of bureaucracy is descending on the industry, while many questions for the future remain unanswered. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-03 19:23:07 UTC ]
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When ‘red lines’ work, and when they fail

Obama’s unfulfilled threat to Assad is among the episodes David Andelman explores. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-12-31 13:00:00 UTC ]
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Grove Atlantic Raises Entry-Level Pay, Forms Exec Committee

Grove Atlantic has created a six-person executive committee to help CEO Morgan Entrekin run the publisher and increased the entry-level salary to $40,000. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-12-15 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Melania Trump’s post-White House book might not be a memoir after all, which is fine.

For a while, Melania Trump has teased that she might write a book after the Trump family exits the White House. I, like many, had mixed feelings. On one hand, it’d be interesting to see the Trump administration from the point of the view of the famously sullen First Lady; but on the other hand,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-12-10 18:18:04 UTC ]
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Hodder Studio pre-empts two from debut author Amanda Block

Hodder Studio has pre-empted two books from Amanda Block, including her debut The Lost Storyteller, which will be published in July 2021 in hardback, e-book and audiobook. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-12-10 15:06:19 UTC ]
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First PRH ethnicity pay report shows gap of 16% for BAME employees

Penguin Random House has published its first ever ethnicity pay report, which found that BAME staff are paid 16% less than their white colleagues, on average. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-11-29 12:21:20 UTC ]
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