Steam Now Admits Players Rent Digital Licenses, Not Buy Games – PlayStation LifeStyle

Steam has apparently started alerting users that they’re obtaining digital licenses to play games, paving way for other marketplaces like PS Store to follow suit. The move comes ahead of an upcoming California law that will require online storefronts to admit that players don’t actually own the content that they pay for.

PS Store Might Soon Admit Players Rent Licenses, Not Games

As reported by Engadget, Steam users see a notice warning them that they’re getting a digital license before they make payment for items in their cart. “A purchase of a digital product grants a license for the product on Steam,” the notice reads.

California governor Gavin Newsom signed the law — AB 2426 — that will prevent online stores from giving players the impression that they’re “buying” or “owning” a product when they’re, in fact, renting it. The move came after several high-profile cases of companies (including Sony) revoking content from players’ digital libraries after they had paid for it.

Violation of the law would be considered false or misleading advertisement, with companies facing repercussions. Now that Steam has made this change, we imagine that it’s only a matter of time before other digital sellers like PS Store are forced to do the same.