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EU Charges Valve and 5 Game Publishers With Unfair 'Geo-Blocking' (venturebeat.com)

Posted by msmash on from the how-about-that dept.

The European Commission charged Valve, the owner of a video distribution platform, and five game publishers on Friday with preventing EU consumers from shopping around within the European Union to find the best deal for the games they offer. From a report: The case is the latest move by EU antitrust regulators against cross-border curbs on online trade, key to what is seen as a major part of economic growth in the 28-country bloc. The Commission, which oversees competition policy in the 28 EU countries, said that the companies were Valve, the owner of the world's largest video game distribution platform 'Steam', and five game makers -- Bandai Namco, Capcom, Focus Home, Koch Media and ZeniMax. "In a true digital single market, European consumers should have the right to buy and play video games of their choice regardless of where they live in the EU," European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said. The Commission has sent what it calls a "statement of objections" to the companies, allowing them to reply and request hearings to present their arguments.

8 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. Rising prices by execthts · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Let's hope that they won't raise the poorest regions' prices up to the level of the richest regions' levels.

    1. Re:Rising prices by fazig · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Platforms like Netflix have to struggle with different issues like licensing the series, which can work differently for each country. If there are TV channels that already are a licence holder in that specific country this becomes even more complicated.

      The EU would first have to unify the licensing market in some way, or the member states would have to reach some consensus through other means, before this can happen.

    2. Re:Rising prices by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Unfortunately, this argument also seems to have only one conclusion under current EU rules: platforms like Netflix can't offer content anywhere in the EU unless they hold the relevant licences for everywhere in the EU.

      This criticism, along with the pricing level problem I mentioned in another comment below, has been made repeatedly for about as long as the EU has been trying to establish a digital single market.

      --
      If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
    3. Re:Rising prices by drinkypoo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      platforms like Netflix can't offer content anywhere in the EU unless they hold the relevant licences for everywhere in the EU.

      That's not really a problem, it will only require some adjustment. Nobody else will be able to, either, so the people who control the licenses will start providing licensing that permits such distribution. Otherwise they lose out on the sales entirely.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    4. Re:Rising prices by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · · Score: 4, Interesting

      The trouble with this sort of argument is that IP law is mostly made at a global scale through mechanisms like WIPO treaties. The EU might not have the ability to enforce arbitrary restrictions on IP and licensing like that.

      --
      If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
    5. Re:Rising prices by dabadab · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Unfortunately, this argument also seems to have only one conclusion under current EU rules: platforms like Netflix can't offer content anywhere in the EU unless they hold the relevant licences for everywhere in the EU.

      That's patently untrue. Steam is not charged because it does not sell something in regions where it is legally not allowed to: that would be absurd. Also, the EU has already explicitly acknowledged the problem of distributing digital content in a fragmented market where you may not have license in all the EU states and it's OK with a partial distribuion so much that it already has regulation for this exact situation.

      --
      Real life is overrated.
    6. Re:Rising prices by psycho12345 · · Score: 4, Informative

      No, it has always been an economic union. Europe has experienced the longest running peace in centuries because of it. They've had wars on the Continent almost every 40 years prior to that.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

  2. Re:it's NOT valve's 'fault'.. by Anubis+IV · · Score: 3, Informative

    they just enforce what the developers and publishers demand.

    By that logic, the mafia's goons aren't culpable for their crimes since they're merely enforcing what their bosses are demanding of them.

    Without regard for whether or not Valve is actually at fault here, one thing I can say definitively is that engaging in an activity at someone else's request doesn't magically absolve you of your legal responsibilities.