Steam, the popular online gaming platform, has quietly introduced a new notice in its shopping cart, informing users that their purchases grant them a license rather than ownership of the digital content. The move seems to be in anticipation of a new California law set to take effect next year, which mandates clearer disclosures about the nature of digital content purchases.
When Steam users add items to their car and prepare to check out, they are greeted with a message at the bottom of the shopping cart: “A purchase of a digital product grants a license for the product on Steam”.
This notice means that the purchaser doesn’t own the game. You could lose access if Steam revokes the license or removes the game from the platform. Moreover, this notice also means that the purchaser has a limited right over the game. For instance, the purchaser cannot resell or make illegal game copies.
This is a notable shift in transparency, as regular Steam users are confused and confirmed that this type of notice is new, reports Engadget.
Interestingly, this notice is not only limited to users in the United States but is applicable worldwide. Here in India, we also noticed this when purchasing games on Steam.
California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed AB 2426 into law to protect consumers from misconceptions about digital ownership. Under the new law, digital storefronts like Steam and platforms offering music, movies, TV shows, and eBooks are required to clearly state when a purchase is merely a license to access content rather than actual ownership.
However, this rule does not apply to permanent offline downloads.
The law was prompted by cases where digital rights management (DRM) policies led to users losing access to purchased content.
A recent example is Ubisoft’s removal of ‘The Crew’ from players’ libraries after its servers were shut down, leaving customers without access to a game they had once bought. AB 2426 aims to prevent such surprises by ensuring consumers understand that their access to digital media may not be permanent.
Steam’s updated language in its shopping cart seems to align with the requirements of AB 2426, even though the law won’t be enforced until next year. By proactively clarifying that purchases are licenses, Steam is positioning itself to avoid potential legal trouble once the law goes into effect.
Platforms that fail to comply with the law could face fines for false advertising, especially if they fail to provide clear, straightforward information about the nature of digital transactions.
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