From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action


"Stop Killing Games" may not have had the legal successes it hoped
for, but it at least pushed the idea of regaining some consumer rights
to purchased software into public consciousness. And while I don't
have any real hope that this new initiative will have much more
success than earlier ones, at least it indicates that the fight isn't
over.

Thus, I think it's good news when I read that a US congressperson is
pushing a bill that would do just that.* Rep. Torres has announced his sponsorship of legislation to protect video game ownership, ensuring
user rights to keep playing games they've purchased even after the
publisher no longer wants to support it, and to keep
rights-of-transfer (meaning you can re-sell your old games). To quote
the article: "companies selling digital games would need to grant
players more than just a license that can expire at any time, and
games with online features would need to provide offline modes that
still work even when servers eventually shut down."

Will it go anywhere? Probably not... but these things take time to
come to fruition (just look at how long and heated the 'right to
repair' issue has gone on in the US) and that fight won't be won just
by waiting and hoping. So even if the bill isn't successful (which it
probably won't be), these incremental pushes *do* matter.

Right now, the Stop Killing Games initiative doesn't seem to be
directly involved in this latest bill (in fact, Rep. Torres seems more motivated by Sony's move to all-digital games) but their early
influence is definitely felt in this bill. So this may not be SKG Reincarnated... but its spirit is definitely involved.

And who knows, maybe one day common sense will return to software
sales and I'll be able to resell all my games. Then we'll see who gets
the last laugh as I sell of my immense hoard of Steam titles and enter
the ranks of the multi-billionaires. It's an investment plan with true potential, I tell you! ;-) ;-) ;-)




* story here https://kotaku.com/rep-ritchie-torres-announces-congressional-legislation-to-protect-video-game-ownership-2000746395

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2