European Commission Rejects Legislation for Online Video Games Favoring Publisher Intellectual Property Rights Over Digital Consumer Ownership
The European Commission has confirmed it has no plans to implement new laws for old disabled online video games a significant regulatory defeat for the Stop Killing games lobby group. In an official press release the executive body confirmed it will not legislate to prevent companies being allowed to shut down their games effectively bricking products users paid good money for. This decision represents a landmark day in the war for digital consumer rights versus the control of software over ownership.
The Commission stated in its formal reply that these corporations should maintain full ownership of their products and the exclusive IP rights to their creations and technical processes. The executive body stated consumer protection laws were already working sufficiently and there were no loopholes when games servers were switched off by a company. Rather than introduce restrictive laws the commission is proposing soft measures such as organizing discussions between industry experts and lobby groups over the subject of longevity in games.
The Stop Killing Games activist movement was started by Ross Scott and was a roaring success especially after two online games Anthem and The Crew were permanently shut down leaving buyers with unusable game clients. Players have criticized European officials of ignoring their concerns regarding actual digital ownership in favor of the game manufacturers.
Scott predicted the result before the official announcement in his broadcast discussing the way he has observed things from within. He said that there had been "a number of private meetings" between the commission members and the big games publishers "and it is all based on incorrect information about server technology and basically it has ended with the commission relying on inaccurate biased information."
However the people involved with the Stop Killing Games campaign have no intention of giving up and now intend to take the issue to the European Parliament where lobbying is expected to take place in an attempt to ensure new legislation be added into the up and coming Digital Fairness Act.
Source: ec.europa.eu
