this post was submitted on 06 Dec 2023
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[–] [email protected] 77 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (3 children)

We need to stop calling it digital "ownership"! You don't get to own anything as a customer on these platforms, because rights that can be taken away on a whim are no rights at all.

[–] [email protected] 78 points 11 months ago (2 children)

If buying isn't owning, then piracy isn't stealing.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 11 months ago
[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago
[–] [email protected] 12 points 11 months ago (2 children)

In the case of pc platforms like GOG, and itchio, if you get a drm free version of a title, theres nothing the company can do to both stop you from storing it on an external storage (or multiple) if you wanted. They wouldnt be able to revoke it if its a single player game.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

Works for a lot of Steam games too.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Technically, you still don't own it. You have a licence that they can revoke at will. They just can't enforce it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

What makes you say so?

GoG about page explicitly talks about owning, and terms even explicitly mention advance notification so you can download Dr free versions if they will ever become unavailable.

GoG terms do not qualify purchases as temporary access licenses - only to the degree of servicing downloads as long as possible and without other limitation.

We don't believe in controlling you and your games. Here, you won't be locked out of titles you paid for, or constantly asked to prove you own them - this is DRM-free gaming.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

You know that's the exception to the general trend though right? GoG has good terms, most others do not.

Physical media still is a better way to go than digital whenever possible.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Commenter specifically talked about gog and itch. Other commenter then replied you wouldn't own it [there].

The comment chain specifically moved away from "general trend".

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

because rights that can be taken away on a whim are no rights at all

They're rights to temporary access. A contacted temporary right.

I agree with your main point that it's not ownership though.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

What you're talking about is being allowed to use something or being tolerated, that's different from having a right. A temporary right is a real right for a specified time frame, but here it would just be "until I decide you don't".