Steam, one of the largest digital gaming networks, today adds a new statement to its shopping cart detailing the nature of a digital purchase: "Upon purchase of a digital product, a license to the product on Steam is granted."
This move comes as a result of a new California law that attempts to curb deceptions resulting from digital media sales. In short, if you're wondering why it's published, it's because we need to know that our digitally-owned games are not entirely ours.
The Impact of California's Digital Ownership Law
One of the newly passed California Assembly Bills is the enacted California Assembly Bill 2426 which tries to address the issue of ownership of digital content. According to TechSpot, the regulation was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom, who stated that digital marketplaces like Steam shall not lead customers into thinking they have purchased the things bought, like games, movies, or eBooks.
Instead, the companies are required to take "plain language" and tell their customers that "what they pay for is a license to access the digital product, which might be withdrawn or lapse.".
The law also aims to reduce the use of words such as "buy" or "purchase" in digital sales since in real life, a user does not even own the right to claim ownership over products bought. Digital shops now have to clearly explain the nature of the sale and thus the kind of sale so that customers will know very well that they are only buying temporary access, and not actual ownership.
Effect on Steam Users
Valve and Steam have already introduced it by bringing it to the notice at the checkout stage. The labeling now signifies that the customers are buying a license to use rather than owning the product. This transparency reduces confusion, which may be usually prevalent when a customer finds he has bought a game that is no longer available since the access was revoked by Steam or the servers went offline.
Interestingly enough, this move does not limit itself to Steam users in California. Valve is making this change across all accounts as it sets forth to take a uniform stride toward clear digital licensing in the face of increasing legal pressure.
Why the New Law Matters for Gamers
According to PC Gamer, this is a problem of digital ownership and is in itself a hot topic for gamers, especially because it has already prevented many players from accessing games they have paid for when servers shut down or storefronts disappear. To the frustration of so many, such developments can even trigger full-scale movements like the "Stop Killing Games" movement, which advocates better consumer protection for the gaming industry.
A great example of this problem happened earlier in this year when Ubisoft delisted and took access away from the original game of The Crew, which had permanently been turned off the servers. Even those who bought the game at full price lost access. This event pointed towards how precarious digital ownership is, while consumers control little to no aspects of what they buy.
To avoid such problems in the future, companies like Ubisoft include offline modes in sequels, such as The Crew 2. However, the disappearance of the original game teaches an important lesson: digital products can suddenly become unavailable, at least from an end-user's perspective.
Companies Need to Raise Awareness About False Sales
In the future, as a result of the new law enacted in California, a consumer will see more transparency in digital transactions. The purpose is that the customers should not be misled by false sales, and they should be kept well aware of the rights restrained in the digital purchase.
Companies are expected to raise their awareness of the fact that people can only lease digital goods rather than own them, and they may get fined with false advertising if they violate those rights.
But one thing to add here is that these rules are not applied to offline downloads and other types of physical media, which offer more traditional manifestations of ownership. Digital content, on the other hand, remains tied by licensing conditions, and websites like Steam are now forced to explain this difference.
