European Union court: Consumers have the right to re-sell their Digitally Distributed games

[Alby_da_Wolf]

NJ5 said:

Jumpin said:

noname2200 said:

Jumpin said:
Well, considering they're asking something that isn't feasible, This's the end of convenient digital distribution in Europe.

Why would it not be feasible?

 

Because there is no way it can be done in a feasible and convenient manner. It means one of the following things:
1. That courts have endorsed charging money to pirate out digital copies of a game.
2. That all digital games will now have DRM. Goodbye independent development studios like Mojang unless they want to sell out completely to a larger corporation; who might reject them for any reason, leaving the small company no options for distribution in Europe. This goes for foreign developers and distributers as well.
3. Some physical device will be required for authentication; defeating the purpose of digital distribution.

Why would all digital games need DRM because of this?

Do you see gog.com stopping to sell DRM-free games?

NJ5 said:

IIIIITHE1IIIII said:
However, EA use this bullshit code system "online pass" where only one account is able to play online unless you buy more codes. In other words, used copies will require a new code once purchased...

Smart move, EA.

How long until things like "online passes", DLC and virtual items in F2P games are ruled to be equivalent to software licenses, and thus are forced to be resellable by gamers?

All of those things can be used as ways to avoid giving customers their lawful rights, and I wouldn't be surprised if some publishers try all sorts of cute tricks to evade the law.

Maybe publishers should consider that all their attempts at evading this generate friction with their customers which is not a positive thing. To put it bluntly, people sometimes have this "annoying" habit of gradually realizing who's screwing them...

Good answers, I agree.