California is forcing digital storefronts to admit that players are purchasing licenses instead of ownership
A new state law in California will require online digital stores such as the PlayStation Store and Steam to clarify that users are only purchasing licenses to play games rather than owning them.
The details:
As reported by The Verge, California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed new legislation (AB 2426), which will prohibit digital stores from using terms like "buy" and "purchase" if users are not explicitly informed that they are only purchasing a license to access content that they don’t actually own. “As retailers continue to pivot away from selling physical media, the need for consumer protections on the purchase of digital media has become increasingly more important,” California Assembly member Jacqui Irwin said. “I thank the Governor for signing AB 2426, ensuring the false and deceptive advertising from sellers of digital media incorrectly telling consumers they own their purchases becomes a thing of the past.”
The bill follows recent discussions about digital content ownership after Ubisoft shut down The Crew's servers. This rendered the game unplayable for all due to the lack of an offline mode, and the publisher even went as far as to remove copies from people's accounts, which was legal as it has the right to revoke licenses. Although Ubisoft has since confirmed that the game's sequels will support offline play, the number of always-online live-service releases in recent years has raised serious concerns about game preservation.
It is currently unknown how storefronts intend to follow the new guidelines. Many people believe that companies will make it just clear enough to avoid breaking the law by using small print or claiming that they offer local "offline" downloads of the game, effectively circumventing the rule. Some argue that the law is not addressing the issue of ownership, as many people will still proceed to buy a license regardless.
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