Quote:Jokes about GameStop offering people a fraction of a game's worth during trade-ins aside, one of the clear advantages physical copies of games have had over their digital counterparts is the ability to resell them, allowing players to recoup some of their investment when they're done with a title. But that might change. Earlier this week, the Paris District Court ruled that Steam's restrictions on reselling digital games violate European Union (EU) regulations earlier this week.
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The court gave Steam owner Valve three months to amend Steam's terms of service to comply with EU regulations. The changes will probably take longer to go into effect, however, as the case heads to appeal. A company spokesperson told Polygon: "We disagree with the decision of the Paris Court of First Instance and will appeal it. The decision will have no effect on Steam while the case is on appeal." That process could take years to resolve.
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It's clear that the EU has taken an interest in the way digital games are sold and managed. People can resell their physical games, movies and albums. The only reason they can't do the same for their digital copies is the fact that companies only sell access to the product in question; the idea that someone actually owns the product is an illusion. Arguing in favor of resales is one step closer towards guaranteeing true ownership of digital goods.