Steam has been found guilty of not complying with European Union laws. Valve has already reversed and appealed the decision.
The Court of First Instance of Paris has declared that Steam users have the right to be able to sell the games they have in the library and that Valve is violating European Union laws by not allowing it. Clearly Valve does not like the decision and is already asking for it to be reversed since they consider their store a subscription service.
The court rejected Valve's appeal by specifying that Steam is not a subscription service by properly selling the games. They give a digital license and access through a single payment, so they have nothing to do with subscription services such as access to the servers of World of Warcraft. In these, an amount is paid monthly to continue playing. This difference makes it against the laws of the European Union that make it necessary to allow the flow of digital goods.
The Valve store could change a lot thanks to European legality
But there will be no changes to Steam for the duration of the appeal that Valve has presented. And in the case of not being victorious, they will have to put new conditions of use on the platform.
Now ... How will this affect users? If it occurs only in Europe by breaking European laws, the European version of Steam may incorporate a market for game licenses as it already does with the cards and objects of certain games. Here would enter the option that when selling it Steam takes a commission if the law allows it, but it could break laws and would greatly affect the sales. They will also have to implement a way to ensure that the money sold by the keys can be deposited in how many banks.
If we lose to the European Union, everything we know about the Valve store will change. We will no longer have to wait for their sales to get cheap games as there are already licenses of other players available for sale, and people will be able to try to sell their licenses and get some money for the hundreds of games they have accumulated (if anyone I would like them). And it could set a precedent and affect Nintendo and its eShop, Microsoft and its Xbox Marketplace, Sony and its PlayStation Network, GoG.com, Epic Games and its Store, and Google when Google Stadia comes out. It would be like the second-hand drawer of the Game, but in digital.
Source: Engadget
