The digital space offers some tricky situations. When people download a game from a distributor like Steam, it’s theirs. There’s no means of reselling it. Some people want that to change. UFC-Que Choisir, a French consumer group, is suing Valve over the issue. The European Union allows people to resell software they rightfully own, and UFC-Que Choisir believes this applies to Steam games. So, it’s taking the company to court.
UFC-Que Choisir’s Steam lawsuit hinges on a previous case involving the resale of digital games. In 2012, UsedSoft wanted to resell used software, and another company called Oracle sued them because their license agreement prohibited that practice. The European Court of Justice upheld first sale rights and said people weren’t buying a license, they were buying software. This set a precedent for reselling digital downloads.
However, the Regional Court of Berlin struck down a similar lawsuit in 2014. Germany’s Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband, another consumer group, sued Valve for this same right. The court ruled in favor of Valve. So UFC-Que Choisir’s Steam lawsuit could go either way.
UFC-Que Choisir also asserts in its case that people should receive any outstanding Steam credit back should they close their Steam account.
Source: Engadget