The internet took note of an update in the Steam store. Now, when proceeding to checkout, users are presented with a warning stating that when purchasing products, they receive a "license" for the games and other content rather than full ownership. To review the complete terms, users are invited to read the Steam Subscriber Agreement.

It appears this notice was added due to the passage of a new law in California. The law prohibits digital goods retailers from using terms like "purchase" or similar expressions that imply unlimited ownership rights. Although the law only applies in California, Valve has opted to add this disclaimer in various regions.

The fact that Steam users are only purchasing a "license" for content, rather than ownership, has been known for quite some time. The law was enacted in response to notable cases where paid games became unavailable due to server shutdowns. One of the most prominent examples is Ubisoft's racing game The Crew.

The addition of the "license" disclaimer in Steam did not go unnoticed by GOG, a store known for its absence of DRM (digital rights management) in games—allowing customers to do whatever they like with the game files, including sharing and installing them without internet access.

GOG humorously responded by creating a mock version of a warning for their store. Their message directly informs customers that they receive an offline installer for the game, which no one can take away from them.

Main image: alphacoders.com

Comment on this