A new California law requires online stores to specify licensing terms for all digital goods to their consumers.
If you think you own the games, films, series or music you buy on online stores then think again. You only have an operating license which can be revoked at any time by these platforms.
The State of California wants to remind the general public of this sad reality by imposing explicit notices on these stores and protecting consumers from unpleasant surprises.
A “false advertising” that can no longer continue
It’s California Governor Gavin Newsom (via The Verge) which has just signed a law (AB 24 26) for online stores such as Steam, iTunes, PlayStation Store, Xbox and many others. The latter are now prohibited from mentioning the terms “purchase” or “purchase” for the various contents of their catalog, which the buyer would understand as “ unlimited property rights ».
These notices can be present provided that the stores indicate to their consumers that they are receiving a limited license to access the product and that this can be revoked at any time if they no longer have the rights.
These measures do not apply to goods accessible by subscription (SVoD, Game Pass, etc.), free goods or those to which access is not revocable and which can be viewed offline using a download option. .
Abuses in recent years
As we have reported extensively in recent years, certain online stores and content providers have taken significant advantage of the conditions of these licenses.
The first multiplayer game The Crew was threatened with disappearance for all players who purchased it before the European Union encouraged Ubisoft to give it a second life.
PlayStation also made headlines when more than 1,300 video contents were threatened with disappearance because of its “licensing agreements” with the suppliers concerned. Here too, the widespread discontent prompted Sony to find a temporary solution for the next 30 months.
If the video game sector is concerned, publishers and stores are sometimes willing to encourage the conservation of video games. The much appreciatedSpec Ops : The Line disappeared from Steam in January 2024 but remains accessible to its buyers, according to the platform’s own conditions of use. Same situation for Forza Horizon 4 which will be delisted on December 15, 2024 from the different platforms but will remain playable and downloadable for owners of the game.
The subject of ownership rights to these digital goods remains central at a time when the physical medium seems to be dying in recent hours if we are to believe the headlines. Platforms like GOG offer games without any DRM, thus ensuring players that they own the games they have purchased.
This Californian law is therefore a step in the right direction, but for the moment only changes appearances. At the very least, it has the advantage of making consumers more informed.
