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Are you sure you actually have the games and movies you buy? Are you confident they won't disappear tomorrow? California Governor Gavin Newsom is trying to make licensing clearer with a new law forcing digital stores to tell customers they don't own content but only get a license to use it.
As reported by The Verge, the law will come into effect next year and ban stores from using terms like “buy” or “purchase” if they don't inform customers that they’re not getting unrestricted access to games, music, movies, ebooks, and other media.
Stores will have to provide a list of restrictions that come with getting a license and will be fined for false advertising if they break the rules. The law won’t apply to stores that offer “permanent offline” downloads.
This is a great response to publishers cutting off access to games. Earlier this year, Ubisoft shut down The Crew servers, leaving players without both the racer and the money they paid for it. Enraged, YouTuber Ross Scott started an initiative against companies canceling games. Perhaps this is the first meaningful step into a future where we either own our purchases or at least know they are not with us forever.
“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 Assemblymember 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.”
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