3Bit

A U.S. congressman wants to change how we legally “own” video games. Rep. Ritchie Torres has announced plans to introduce the Power To The Players Act, a bill that would direct the FTC to create rules protecting consumers who buy video games. The proposal would give players three basic rights: >The right to own the games they purchase, rather than simply receiving a revocable license >The right to keep playing games after online servers are shut down, through an offline mode >The right to transfer or resell games they own Torres argues that if a company can take a game away simply by shutting down its servers, then the consumer didn’t really buy the game in the first place. Torres also hopes the legislation could eventually establish a precedent for ownership rights across other parts of the digital economy: “If you pay for it, you own it.”