I just read that the Court of Justice of the European Union has sentenced that every customer has got right to sell used copy of software, even if the licence says he can't. This also involves digital distribution.

So it looks like Steam (and other platforms) will have to allow users (at least European ones) to sell licence keys to other users.

Sounds interesting, isn't it?

How do you like it? I wonder how this will affect accessibility of games, prices and promotions. 

I wish we could get a ruling that like that over here in the States.  I'm a little jealous of EU gamers at the moment! 

What's the difference between on person selling the license of a digital version with a person selling a friend a hard copy of the game? Makes sense to me that this should be the law in the States as well as Europe.

My only concern would be that you may see many smaller developers losing out on sales. Digital copies are already cheaper (I know, not having to package it saves them lots of money as well), but if a player can simply get a hold of their friend's license, they may not take the chance and drop a couple of bucks on steam on a game.

Yes, it makes sense.

But our courts & politicians dont' normally make sensible decisions.

Originally Posted By doomtrader (4 JUL 2012 6:54am)

I just read that the Court of Justice of the European Union has sentenced that every customer has got right to sell used copy of software, even if the licence says he can't. This also involves digital distribution.

 

So it looks like Steam (and other platforms) will have to allow users (at least European ones) to sell licence keys to other users.

Sounds interesting, isn't it?

 

How do you like it? I wonder how this will affect accessibility of games, prices and promotions. 

Link:

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:62011CJ0128:EN:HTML

Agreed that if you can resell a hard copy, you should be able to resell the soft copy just as easily.   Hope the US comes to the same conclusion shortly. 

In my opinion consumers should have the right to transfer the license of digitial goods just like physical goods. I don't see a limitation on this as fair. Yes, creators of the content may lose out on new sales, but it is hard to predict the net affect. I usually wait for a sale to purchase a game because at least for games on Steam it isn't practical to try and resell it when I am done. If I could easily resell it I am more likely to buy it sooner after release, just like I used to do. With the great sales on games, often within several months of release I feel like I still get good value for my purchases, but reselling games is a good option to have and one I believe we should have on principle.

What happened to the 'Peans being wrong about everything they do?

Once you allow people rights to own their digital property it is a slippery

slope into the hell of a socialist nanny state!  I said it first.

cheers

Originally Posted By danlongman (4 JUL 2012 4:12pm)

What happened to the 'Peans being wrong about everything they do?

Once you allow people rights to own their digital property it is a slippery

slope into the hell of a socialist nanny state!  I said it first.

cheers

What about the slippery slope that started when the software industry began infringing upon the rights of the consumers? I say it's about time the pendulum started swinging back the other way.

I think this will change the priorities of game companies.  It would be less profitable to support an existing titile.  Instead of squashing bugs, they will just focus all effort in making new titles which address the issues of the old title.  This is what happened during the old days with physical copies.

Originally Posted By jomni (4 JUL 2012 7:36pm)

I think this will change the priorities of game companies.  It would be less profitable to support an existing titile.  Instead of squashing bugs, they will just focus all effort in making new titles which address the issues of the old title.  This is what happened during the old days with physical copies.

I don't think that is true. I remember the torture of downloading patches over slow connections. In the old, old days companies did their best to release a game free of big issues that needed to be patched. Once downloadable patches became more commonplace, the initial quality of released games tended to decrease. 

Originally Posted By Greybriar (4 JUL 2012 7:27pm)

Originally Posted By danlongman (4 JUL 2012 4:12pm)

What happened to the 'Peans being wrong about everything they do?

Once you allow people rights to own their digital property it is a slippery

slope into the hell of a socialist nanny state!  I said it first.

cheers

 

What about the slippery slope that started when the software industry began infringing upon the rights of the consumers? I say it's about time the pendulum started swinging back the other way.

Hear Hear applaud applaud standing ovation. It's LONGGGGGGGGGGGG overdue that publishers and developers started to have to be responsible for their work and what they release to the public. First used game consumer digital rights and then the "right to a refund" to begin with.  

I wonder does it applies to iPads, iPhones etc.

Also what about other media? If I bought a book or a CD album I can sell it. What about my iTunes album and my collection of ebooks? Can those be sold.

OTOH there is no doubt it will harm developers. 

Originally Posted By Greybriar (4 JUL 2012 7:27pm)

Originally Posted By danlongman (4 JUL 2012 4:12pm)

What happened to the 'Peans being wrong about everything they do?

Once you allow people rights to own their digital property it is a slippery

slope into the hell of a socialist nanny state!  I said it first.

cheers

 

What about the slippery slope that started when the software industry began infringing upon the rights of the consumers? I say it's about time the pendulum started swinging back the other way.

Aye!!

Originally Posted By doomtrader (5 JUL 2012 5:05am)

I wonder does it applies to iPads, iPhones etc.

 

Also what about other media? If I bought a book or a CD album I can sell it. What about my iTunes album and my collection of ebooks? Can those be sold.

 

 

OTOH there is no doubt it will harm developers. 

There have been rulings here in the US that support the customer in those cases. 

Actually, the Book example is an old one that is cited in customer rights.  It's ruling pertained to exactly this subject - publishers adding extra restrictions to prevent further sale of personal copies.  By extension it could easily be used in cases against DRM.  Pretty easy sell, actually, but nobody's bothered having this stuff reiterated by the USSC with today's digital DRM.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobbs-Merrill_Co._v._Straus

This is great news. What it means in practice is this:

I need a key for Sony Vegas 6. I lost my key and packaging and when Sony aquired Sonic Foundry I lost my reg details (that was fun trying to chase up).

It also just so happens that Sony Vegas 6 is the only version that supports my camcorder's native format of media, so it's v6 I need.

I contacted Sony multiple times who stated they would not even sell me a new key for version 6 at full price, and that the lastest version (now v11) was the only one for purchase.

Living in the UK, it means I can now go on any European forum and ask if anyone has v6 for sale.

Hi All,

I don't think this ruling will have too much effect on game distributors in the short term.  This seems to explain why:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/games/7227451/There-will-never-be-a-used-digital-market

Cheers,

Andy Brown