So here's a bit information that most people seems to be unaware of: When you buy a physical game, what are you buying really? Not an object, since if the disc is empty it's worthless, nor the content, since it's copyrighted.
When you buy a physical game, in fact when you buy ANY reproduced/pre-recorded/interactive cultural product, you buy a licence of unlimited access and use to a copy of said product.
And this has been the case since the 16th century: you buy something with your money, you own it, what you own specifically in this case being the licence.
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Well, when you buy any digital reproduced product, you buy exactly the same thing, but here's the twist: depending on where you live (basically dumbistan or the rest of the civilised world), most countries uphold these centuries old laws and even enforce them when companies are tempted to corrupt or manipulate them, especially in countries that make it clear that contract, TOSs or EULAs are worthless to sovereign laws.
But then there is the US where unless prosecuted and enforced, companies have long put things which from a constitutional and laws are illegal in their TOSs and EULAs, and astroturf their way into people mind into thinking that they might not own what the purchase, ironic for the country that prides itself on owning it's property.
The result is that digital platforms in the US have started writing EULAs that are not legally valid in which supposedly the act of purchasing a product de-facto regulated by the same mercantile, propriety and copyright laws, are instead "subscriptions" to product you buy. And this wording supposedly would enabled them to steal/remove contents people have purchased or limit/prevent access to the library of products they own, even though that's illegal and if prosecuted they would lose 100% (in fact, even compulsory refund is not legal).
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The problem as always in our period, especially in the US, is that you have people afflicted with the stooge syndrome whose mind has been completely corrupted by media and social astroturfing into thinking these EULAs/TOSs are law, and who therefor accept or even defend the corruption and abuse of companies against their interest, while other fall victim of thinking "that it must be true/then there's nothing we can do". The truth is that in the case of these abuse, unless there's an outcry, lawsuit/class action or a direct prosecution, companies may get away in the US, while in the civilised world it rapidly triggers prosecution, hence the various lootboxes cases in Europe, while american continue to be consumer fodders that may to cowardly and manipulated to act.
When you buy a physical game, in fact when you buy ANY reproduced/pre-recorded/interactive cultural product, you buy a licence of unlimited access and use to a copy of said product.
And this has been the case since the 16th century: you buy something with your money, you own it, what you own specifically in this case being the licence.
--
Well, when you buy any digital reproduced product, you buy exactly the same thing, but here's the twist: depending on where you live (basically dumbistan or the rest of the civilised world), most countries uphold these centuries old laws and even enforce them when companies are tempted to corrupt or manipulate them, especially in countries that make it clear that contract, TOSs or EULAs are worthless to sovereign laws.
But then there is the US where unless prosecuted and enforced, companies have long put things which from a constitutional and laws are illegal in their TOSs and EULAs, and astroturf their way into people mind into thinking that they might not own what the purchase, ironic for the country that prides itself on owning it's property.
The result is that digital platforms in the US have started writing EULAs that are not legally valid in which supposedly the act of purchasing a product de-facto regulated by the same mercantile, propriety and copyright laws, are instead "subscriptions" to product you buy. And this wording supposedly would enabled them to steal/remove contents people have purchased or limit/prevent access to the library of products they own, even though that's illegal and if prosecuted they would lose 100% (in fact, even compulsory refund is not legal).
--
The problem as always in our period, especially in the US, is that you have people afflicted with the stooge syndrome whose mind has been completely corrupted by media and social astroturfing into thinking these EULAs/TOSs are law, and who therefor accept or even defend the corruption and abuse of companies against their interest, while other fall victim of thinking "that it must be true/then there's nothing we can do". The truth is that in the case of these abuse, unless there's an outcry, lawsuit/class action or a direct prosecution, companies may get away in the US, while in the civilised world it rapidly triggers prosecution, hence the various lootboxes cases in Europe, while american continue to be consumer fodders that may to cowardly and manipulated to act.