# Steam Adds Reminder: You're Buying a License, Not the Game! 📜

**URL:** <https://onehack.st/t/steam-adds-reminder-youre-buying-a-license-not-the-game/293377>\
**Category:** News & Articles\
**Tags:** news\
**Created:** [October 12, 2024, 5:46pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/steam-adds-reminder-youre-buying-a-license-not-the-game/293377 "2024-10-12T17:46:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TheJoker](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/thejoker/32/22660_2.png) [@TheJoker](https://onehack.st/u/TheJoker)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2024, 5:46pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/steam-adds-reminder-youre-buying-a-license-not-the-game/293377/1 "2024-10-12T17:46:13Z")

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**Summary:**

1. **New Legal Requirement**  
In response to California’s **AB2426** law, Valve has updated its checkout page to inform users that when they purchase a game on Steam, they are actually buying a **license** to use the product, not the game itself.

2. **California’s Law**  
This law, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 26, aims to combat misleading advertising of digital goods. It prohibits sellers from using terms like “buy” or “purchase” that imply full ownership and requires clear communication that the product is a license.

3. **Changes to Checkout Process**  
Now, before completing a transaction, users will see a notice on the Steam checkout page stating, “A purchase of a digital product grants a license for the product on Steam.” This change is designed to make the licensing agreement more transparent to consumers.

4. **Previous Clarifications**  
Although Valve’s **End User License Agreement (EULA)** previously stated that purchases are licenses that cannot be resold, this message is now more visible to all customers during the purchase process.

5. **Future Implications**  
This update may lead to broader discussions about ownership rights and licensing in the digital marketplace, affecting how users perceive their purchases across various platforms.

**Read more at:** [Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/10/steam-now-reminds-you-that-it-really-sells-a-license-for-a-digital-product/)

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**Author:** ![Darth\_Vader](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/darth_vader/32/97002_2.png) [@Darth\_Vader](https://onehack.st/u/Darth_Vader)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2024, 6:32am UTC](https://onehack.st/t/steam-adds-reminder-youre-buying-a-license-not-the-game/293377/2 "2024-10-13T06:32:21Z")

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If I can’t own the product completely, I ain’t buying it

Steam:

> “A purchase of a digital product grants a license for the product on Steam.”

A clap back by GOG

> “A purchase of a digital product on GOG grants you its Offline Installers, **which cannot be taken away from you**.”

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**Author:** ![Rizal\_Consulting](https://onehack.st/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Rizal\_Consulting](https://onehack.st/u/Rizal_Consulting)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2024, 9:19am UTC](https://onehack.st/t/steam-adds-reminder-youre-buying-a-license-not-the-game/293377/3 "2024-10-13T09:19:09Z")

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u can use other platforms like good old games (GOG)