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A new law has been passed in California which prohibits the use of words like "buy" and "purchase" on digital storefronts like Steam. (www.pcgamesn.com)

submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Even if you buy a DVD, the only thing you are "buying" is the physical media and a license to operate the softwate. You don't own the software stored on the media, you must use it in accordance with the license agreement or potentially face legal action. The main thing about digital storefronts is that it's easier to revoke the license.

[–] Euphorazine 3 points 2 months ago

If you buy a movie, you are buying the rights to private use of the movie, you aren't buying the copyright. You can sell a DVD movie to someone else and it's not illegal and doesn't subject you to copyright law.

If you buy a game that has a license key, then yeah, you are buying a license to the game even if it has physical media, but buying a physical copy of an Xbox game doesn't have a license key (well, more recently they do, the box contains a store key instead of a disc, but before that was common practice)