New Steam TOS Agreement Prevents Class Action Suits

[Luftwaffles]

When Steam updates its EULA it causes the client itself to update making it impossible not to see that they changed it.

You have to accept the notice of the EULA change on the update before you can even get back on Steam.

um... no?

I'd had no such notice, and my steam is up to date and auto-starts every time my computer does.

Mine updated, prompted me to restart and opened a separate window with the updated TOS and agreements

So....yes?

 

[A3sir]

I never understand how any entity can do this in their ToS, I mean it is effectively changing the law. What limit is there? If a companies ToS says they reserve the right to kill their customers at any time without consequence, can they, if people agree? Obviously that is an extreme, but where does looking at a law and just saying "nope.jpg" stop?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about Valve here, just a general observation. And I guess after writing this post, South Park touched on this issue with the Cent-iPad, but I've never seen an explanation as to what CAN'T they do.

 

[octafish]

I never understand how any entity can do this in their ToS, I mean it is effectively changing the law. What limit is there? If a companies ToS says they reserve the right to kill their customers at any time without consequence, can they, if people agree? Obviously that is an extreme, but where does looking at a law and just saying "nope.jpg" stop?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about Valve here, just a general observation. And I guess after writing this post, South Park touched on this issue with the Cent-iPad, but I've never seen an explanation as to what CAN'T they do.

I think you can send a letter to Steam within thirty days saying that you refuse to acknowledge the changes and you get to keep the original term of service. I certainly remember that happening with Sony.

Technically this doesn't hold water in Australia, but guess what? All suits against US companies have to be fought in the US and usually California.

Oh well, I did sign up to Origin...

Again, I don't blame companies for taking advantage of legal protections. I blame the US Supreme Court for allowing this nonsense.

Captcha: Public Good

 

[Xyebane]

Quite frankly I am disgusted by valve and have sent them a complaint regarding this issue. Regardless of the validity of the clause or the unlikeliness that I will ever be effected by this change, Refusing consumers access to goods which they purchased under one agreement unless they agree to a new agreement which greatly benefits the corporation is nothing less than extortion. I'm no longer a valve fan.

 

[SecondPrize]

I think you can send a letter to Steam within thirty days saying that you refuse to acknowledge the changes and you get to keep the original term of service. I certainly remember that happening with Sony.

Technically this doesn't hold water in Australia, but guess what? All suits against US companies have to be fought in the US and usually California.

Oh well, I did sign up to Origin...

Again, I don't blame companies for taking advantage of legal protections. I blame the US Supreme Court for allowing this nonsense.

Captcha: Public Good

Really? Cause while you may blame the Supreme Court you are overlooking the actual family and lawyer and how much money they were suing for are the root of the problem. People ***** about class actions lawsuits as dumb cases but I see this as probably the worst one because here is the facts.

The Concepcion family sued AT&T for 30 dollars. Appealed their loss enough times to get up to the Supreme court. Resulting in 300 million people losing their right to actually utilize our justice system in favor of a private corporation of arbiters with their own rules and laws and compensation methods that could easily be put upon the individual.

Honestly if they stopped at the local level it wouldn't of been a big deal and while there would of been legal precedence no company lawyer in other states would of found it and honestly lost to time. But the dumbass family and lawyer kept appealing for that 30 dollars cause that money was certainly more important to the right to justice using our justice system. Which is honestly sad because what the courts often do before you actually even get to a jury is that both parties will most of the time settle OUT OF COURT. Meaning that the entire point of the arbiters is meaningless as our justice system already has a way of enabling parties to negotiate utilizing the justice system that our country supports.

So, a family should not have fought for their rights because they should have known that the supreme court would strip them? Are rights something we just keep up on a trophy shelf in our homes, but never fight for?
If this family had not carried on past the first level of the courts, you STILL wouldn't have your rights to a class action lawsuit in this case because AT&T would know they can get away with this shit.

 

[felbot]

this is disgusting honestly, but i hate to admit that i already have like 50+ games on the service, most of which i like playing, oh well no more new games atleast.

for now on all my purchases are on gog.

 

[felbot]

actually i just got the prompt to restart and just clicked close, didn't seem to update.

 

[Naeras]

Sorry, Valve, but this is a dick move, and one that's not even going to hold up in court.

 

[Ralphfromdk]

There's one big difference between Steam doing this, and other companies like EA doing it.

Valve isn't giving us any reasons to file lawsuits. Ergo, it's not a problem that we can't.

 

[Meight08]

There's one big difference between Steam doing this, and other companies like EA doing it.

Valve isn't giving us any reasons to file lawsuits. Ergo, it's not a problem that we can't.

Also this shit doesn´t fly in europe so i don´t need to worry.

 

[Headdrivehardscrew]

I'm not too happy about blanket bans, but if you look at the history of class action lawsuits or if you've ever taken part in one and decided to want to understand what's going on and why, it's easy to understand why they're bad.

If folks wouldn't have the tendency to abuse, and if said abuse wouldn't have negative consequences for pretty much everyone, I guess I would be pretty annoyed with Valve. With things and - especially - people being as messed up as they are, it's pretty much the only way to go if you want to keep Valve (or any service) up and running without random costs and issues popping up.

There are reasons this is a trending development, so to speak. Oh, and GoG - better update your TOS as well, or lawyer up Apple-style. One allows GoG to keep things running in a business-as-usual fashion. The latter would have severe consequences on pricing.

 

[Headdrivehardscrew]

There's one big difference between Steam doing this, and other companies like EA doing it.

Valve isn't giving us any reasons to file lawsuits. Ergo, it's not a problem that we can't.

Also this shit doesn´t fly in europe so i don´t need to worry.

With the EU actively trying to tear, say, Microsoft a new one, you really shouldn't be surprised stuff costs (much) more in your fantasy currency that's been on the brink of blowing up Reichsmark style for almost half of its existence already.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Seriously Valve what the bloody balls... just because there are exploitable laws doesn't mean you need to jump on that band wagon.

 

[Tayh]

This is only the first step, muahaha.

 

[The Artificially Prolonged]

No Valve! What are you doing? That way is the path to the dark side.

Not pleased with Valve here. I imagine they want to stop frivolous lawsuits but a blanket ban through the EULA hurts all customers no matter what Valve says to the contrary. It seems that the only options with this new agreement are accept it or cancel your steam account with no reimbursement. If EULA where binding contracts companies could not just add in new clauses and force you to agree by withholding the contents of the old one. At least from my understanding the law in the UK any contact that is signed by force is automatically void. Then again at least the legal system in my part of the world doesn't view EULAs as anything more than toilet paper, still sucks for those in American.

I feel a little sad now, at least gog.com are still doing their thing well. All praise gog.com, may you forever be a shining beacon in these dark times.

 

[GiantRaven]

Valve isn't giving us any reasons to file lawsuits. Ergo, it's not a problem that we can't.

Correction: They aren't giving us any reason to file lawsuits right now. Who says this won't change in the future?

 

[MrPeanut]

Doesn't affect me because Europe laws so yeah...

 

[Olrod]

I'm not sure a contract written by a company can really take precedence over a nation's business and trade laws.

 

[Weaver]

Well, I'm pretty pissed off about it.