Do you own the games, e-books and films you buy online?
Days after a racing game's servers shut down in April 2024, its publisher began revoking the licences of people who had bought it.
Often not: when you buy a game, e-book or film online, you usually get a licence to use it, not a copy you own outright. Virtually all is sold not as a copy but as a licence with an associated end-user licence agreement, or EULA. The question of ownership of purely , versus licensed use, is described as not finally resolved.
Why do companies like licences? They prefer to sell licences rather than copies because it enables them to enforce stricter terms, such as prohibiting transfer of ownership and asserting ownership of , such as user-generated content in video games.
A copy is sold
- Ownership is transferred
- The applies
A licence is sold
- Terms are set by the licence agreement
- Transfer of ownership can be prohibited
- Access can sometimes be revoked
Law and court rulings differ. In July 2012 the European Court of Justice ruled in UsedSoft v. Oracle that the sale of a software product, on a physical medium or by download, was a transfer of ownership under EU law, so the applies. In September 2024, California implemented a law that prohibits terms such as "buy" or "purchase" for if the seller can revoke them, and requires a disclaimer at the time of purchase.
The issue became visible when access was withdrawn. Content providers have faced criticism for access to such as e-books, digital video and video games. In April 2024, days after the servers of Ubisoft's racing game The Crew were shut down as announced, Ubisoft began revoking licences from players who had bought it, leaving them without the ability to redownload the game.
A consumer movement called Stop Killing Games seeks to preserve video games after they are taken offline. On 16 June 2026 the European Commission replied to its European Citizens' Initiative that it could not propose a legal obligation to keep games playable after they stop being sold, saying existing EU consumer laws offer enough protection. Others, such as the trade association Video Games Europe, say it would be too expensive for developers and publishers to offer private servers or single-player modes in games that lose online multiplayer support.
Quiz me
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Recap
Buying a digital game, book or film often means buying a licence under the seller's terms, and different places treat that differently.
๐ก A trick to remember it ยท Think of a hotel key card, not a house key: it opens the door, but the hotel decides when it stops working.
Surprising fact ยท Ubisoft began revoking licences of The Crew only days after the game's servers were shut down in 2024.
Sources (3)
No source, no claim. Every fact in this lesson (15 claims) cites at least one of these.