<
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/new-california-law-inspired-by-ubisoft-and-sony-requires-retailers-to-warn-consumers-that-the-digital-games-they-buy-can-be-taken-away-at-any-time/>
'A new California law set to come into effect in 2025 will make it illegal for
sellers to use terms like "buy" or "purchase" in relation to digital
goods—movies, books, and of course videogames—unless they provide a "clear and
conspicuous" warning to consumers that those goods could be taken away from
them at any time.
The law, AB 2426, essentially expands upon existing laws against false
advertising by restricting the use of any terms "which a reasonable person
would understand to confer an unrestricted ownership." To ensure people
understand that digital ownership isn't really ownership, sellers will need to
either receive "an affirmative acknowledgment from the purchaser" at the time
of transaction, or—and this is obviously the more practical approach—put a
warning, "in a manner that clearly calls attention to the language," on
relevant products.
Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, the sponsor of the bill, told
Game File she was
initially prompted to take action by Sony's planned removal of Discovery
content from the PlayStation store because of expiring licenses. Not only would
the shows no longer be available for purchase, but those who had already
purchased them would lose access. Sony eventually reversed the decision, but
the damage was done: Irwin introduced the bill in February.
Two months later, Ubisoft helped convince her it was the right move when it
started revoking licenses for the racing game
The Crew. Sales of
The Crew
had already been halted in December 2023, but the game—including its
singleplayer portion—was dependent on remote servers, and those went offline in
April. That rendered the game unplayable even for those who already owned it,
but Ubisoft apparently wanted to be sure nobody whipped up a DIY option to get
the game running again.
"Ubisoft's actions with
The Crew further highlighted just how widespread this
issue is," Irwin said.'
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
