Tag: First Sale

Digital resale rights in the EU: the state of play

What happens when you decide that you no longer want an e-book, film, tv episode, music track or video game which you bought and downloaded?  What happens if you decide you want to give it to a friend, relative or just someone who wants to buy it from you?  We’re in the middle of trying… Continue reading Digital resale rights in the EU: the state of play

Do you own your kindle ebooks?

I just read this quick Wired post on whether you own your kindle ebooks.  This is what they said: “If convenient euphemisms could somehow be outlawed, the “Buy now with 1-Click” button on Kindle pages would have to be relabeled “License now with 1-Click.” Amazon’s terms of service clearly state that, unlike those bulky slabs… Continue reading Do you own your kindle ebooks?

Can the next generation consoles block used games?

The next generation Microsoft and Sony games consoles – Sony PlayStation 4 and the newly announced Xbox One – are coming pretty soon now.  There’s been much speculation about to what extent they might attempt to block used games sales, or even sharing of games.  For example, have a look at this BBC article.  Can… Continue reading Can the next generation consoles block used games?

Games law update, October 2012

Hi everyone – I’m sorry there’s been a few months gap since the last games law update, but it’s been pretty busy in my personal life and I’m afraid my assiduous squirreling away of useful links for you suffered.  Here’s October 2012 in brief to help make amends…

The legality of second hand software sales in the EU

The second hand sale of physical and digital software has effectively been declared legal, according to a judgment published by the Court of Justice of the European Union today.  This has the potential to have a real impact on the way that software is sold and consumed – but at the same time the case… Continue reading The legality of second hand software sales in the EU

Are second hand software sales legal?

The second hand sale of software excites lots of emotive debate: is it a good thing for consumers by giving them choices at more flexible price points, or is it killing publishers? Both?  While that debate continues to rage, a couple of recent legal cases have got me thinking: are second hand software sales actually legal?… Continue reading Are second hand software sales legal?

What Vernor v Autodesk means for games

Edit: the case name is ofc Vernor v Autodesk, not Vernor v AutoCAD – thanks Brian! The recent US case of Vernor v Autodesk has caused a storm of controversy over whether you actually own the software that you purchase, or just license it (meaning that you can’t then sell it on to others).  This… Continue reading What Vernor v Autodesk means for games