New Steam Store Message Emphasizes Buyers Do Not Own Their Purchases

The latest message from Steam shows that buyers of digital games are not considered owners of the content but have only acquired the license to experience it.

According to the latest news from Insider-Gaming, if you're a Steam user, you may have encountered a new message for your future purchases. This message indicates that even if you pay the full price for a game, you do not actually own it, but rather have obtained a license to use it. The message, displayed in the latest Steam update, links to the store’s subscriber agreement, which states: "Purchasing a digital product gives a license to use it on Steam."

This update followed the signing of a bill in the California court that requires digital stores to clearly inform buyers about how long they will have access to the purchased product. The new law will be implemented starting in 2025 and applies to all digital products, including music, movies, TV series, eBooks, and video games sold through digital stores.

Jackie Irwin, a member of the California Assembly, explained when announcing this new law: "As retailers move away from selling physical media, the need to protect consumers purchasing digital media has become increasingly important. I thank the governor for signing AB 2426 into law, as it will prevent misleading advertising by digital media sellers who promise buyers ownership of their purchases."

Insider-Gaming also pointed out that, at the time of writing, Steam is the only digital store showing this message to buyers. So far, Epic Games Store, PlayStation Store, and Microsoft Store have not issued a similar notice. While it’s unclear when this update will be universally displayed across all digital stores, it’s safe to assume that it will happen.