Valve: Difference between revisions
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| Type = Private | | Type = Private | ||
| Founded = 1996 | | Founded = 1996 | ||
| Industry = Digital distribution | | Industry = Digital distribution, software development, hardware engineering | ||
| Official Website = https://valvesoftware.com/ | | Official Website = https://valvesoftware.com/ | ||
| Logo = Valve_Corporation_Logo.svg | | Logo = Valve_Corporation_Logo.svg | ||
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!Related Articles | !Related Articles | ||
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|''ACCC v. Valve Corporation''<ref>https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/federal-court-finds-valve-made-misleading-representations-about-consumer-guarantees</ref> | |''ACCC v. Valve Corporation''<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 Mar 2016 |title=Federal Court finds Valve made misleading representations about consumer guarantees |url=https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/federal-court-finds-valve-made-misleading-representations-about-consumer-guarantees |url-status=live |access-date=7 Apr 2025 |website=ACCC}}</ref> | ||
|2014–2016 | |2014–2016 | ||
|During this lawsuit, Valve was found by the Australian Federal Court to have refused to offer refunds for faulty or broken products. | |During this lawsuit, Valve was found by the Australian Federal Court to have refused to offer refunds for faulty or broken products. | ||
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|''UFC Que Choisir v. Valve Corporation''<ref>https://www.foxmandal.in/tough-times-ahead-for-digital-video-game-resellers-french-supreme-court-ruling-in-ufc-que-choisir-v-valve/</ref> | |''UFC Que Choisir v. Valve Corporation''<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 Dec 2024 |title=Tough Times Ahead for Digital Video Game Resellers: French Supreme Court Ruling in UFC Que Choisir v. Valve |url=https://www.foxmandal.in/tough-times-ahead-for-digital-video-game-resellers-french-supreme-court-ruling-in-ufc-que-choisir-v-valve/ |url-status=live |access-date=7 Apr 2025 |website=Fox Mandal}}</ref> | ||
|2015–2019 | |2015–2019 | ||
(still disputed) | (still disputed) | ||
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|2021–2022 | |2021–2022 | ||
|The first notable antitrust case against Valve's unfair market manipulation of their games. | |The first notable antitrust case against Valve's unfair market manipulation of their games. | ||
|Absorbed into another dispute/now a class action lawsuit<ref>https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/the-antitrust-lawsuit-against-steam-is-now-a-class-action-and-that-could-have-big-repercussions-for-valve/</ref> | |Absorbed into another dispute/now a class action lawsuit.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chalk |first=Andy |date=28 Nov 2024 |title=The antitrust lawsuit against Steam is now a class action, and that could have big repercussions for Valve |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/the-antitrust-lawsuit-against-steam-is-now-a-class-action-and-that-could-have-big-repercussions-for-valve/ |url-status=live |access-date=7 Apr 2025 |website=PC Gamer}}</ref> | ||
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|''Sean Colvin'' (and various others) ''v. Valve Corporation, CD Projekt S.A., CD Projekt, Inc., Ubisoft Entertainment S.A., Ubisoft, Inc., Ubisoft L.A., Inc., kChamp Games, Inc., Rust, LLC, and Devolver Digital, Inc.''<ref>https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/popular-gaming-platform-accused-of-abusing-market-power-through-contracts-4124057/</ref> | |''Sean Colvin'' (and various others) ''v. Valve Corporation, CD Projekt S.A., CD Projekt, Inc., Ubisoft Entertainment S.A., Ubisoft, Inc., Ubisoft L.A., Inc., kChamp Games, Inc., Rust, LLC, and Devolver Digital, Inc.''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gardner |first=Eriq |date=28 Jan 2021 |title=Popular Gaming Platform Accused of Abusing Market Power Through Contracts |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/popular-gaming-platform-accused-of-abusing-market-power-through-contracts-4124057/ |url-status=live |access-date=7 Apr 2025 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref> | ||
| | |2021 - Unfinised | ||
|Five individuals in California sued Valve (among various other publishers) over participating in anti-competitive behavior with the Steam platform, most notably over the sale of games for lesser prices on other platforms. | |Five individuals in California sued Valve (among various other publishers) over participating in anti-competitive behavior with the Steam platform, most notably over the sale of games for lesser prices on other platforms. | ||
|Not concluded because of indefinite postponement by Valve. | |Not concluded because of indefinite postponement by Valve. | ||
|<!-- Highly recommend an anti-competitive behavior article here --> | |<!-- Highly recommend an anti-competitive behavior article here --> | ||
|- | |- | ||
|''Bucher Law PLCC v. Valve Corp.''<ref>https://www.bucherlawfirm.com/valve <!-- Not exactly an ideal link, I know, but it is the first one I can find when looking it up --></ref><ref>https://lawgud.com/lawsuit/bucher-law-steam-lawsuit/</ref><!-- I am actually one of the users in this court case arbitrating against Valve, so I can help out here with updates on the case should there be the need for a dedicated article of this specific case - James --> | |''Bucher Law PLCC v. Valve Corp.''<ref>https://www.bucherlawfirm.com/valve <!-- Not exactly an ideal link, I know, but it is the first one I can find when looking it up --></ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bucher Law Steam Lawsuit |url=https://lawgud.com/lawsuit/bucher-law-steam-lawsuit/ |access-date=7 Apr 2025 |website=LawGud}}</ref><ref>https://www.bucherlawfirm.com/_files/ugd/38f6ef_69ae2fee5c5548538d526669d99be533.pdf</ref><!-- I am actually one of the users in this court case arbitrating against Valve, so I can help out here with updates on the case should there be the need for a dedicated article of this specific case - James --> | ||
| | |C.A. 2021 - Unfinished<!-- Kind reminder that I do not remember when my case was moved over from Zaiger to Bucher, otherwise I would have listed the exact year. | ||
Update: March 1st, 2025: According to the legal documents I am able to obtain, and have linked, it started roughly in 2021. --> | |||
|A companion to previous lawsuits against Valve over their anti-competitive monopoly, this time covering consumers over their purchase of games on Steam. | |A companion to previous lawsuits against Valve over their anti-competitive monopoly, this time covering consumers over their purchase of games on Steam. | ||
|Not concluded, slowly being arbitrated. | |Not concluded, slowly being arbitrated. | ||
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== | ==Anti-Consumer Practices== | ||
< | ===Steam users do not own their games (2024)=== | ||
[To be worked on] Sources: <ref>{{Cite web |last=Chalk |first=Andy |date=11 Oct 2024 |title=Steam's new disclaimer reminds everyone that you don't actually own your games, GOG moves in for the killshot: Its offline installers 'cannot be taken away from you' |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/steams-new-disclaimer-reminds-everyone-that-you-dont-actually-own-your-games-gog-moves-in-for-the-killshot-its-offline-installers-cannot-be-taken-away-from-you/ |url-status=live |access-date=7 Apr 2025 |website=PC Gamer}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Shakir |first=Umar |date=11 Oct 2024 |title=Steam now says the ‘game’ you’re buying is really just a license |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/11/24267864/steam-buy-purchase-license-digital-storefront |url-status=live |access-date=7 Apr 2025 |website=The Verge}}</ref><!-- Hi SKG people I linked this to, feel free to develop this section! --> | |||
==References== | |||
{{reflist}} | |||
[[Category:Valve Corporation]] | [[Category:Valve Corporation]] | ||
Latest revision as of 20:01, 7 April 2025
Valve Corporation
| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1996 |
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Digital distribution, software development, hardware engineering |
| Official website | https://valvesoftware.com/ |
Valve Corporation, also known as Valve Software, was founded in 1996 by Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington. It is the owner of the popular digital software distribution service Steam. Valve additionally develops tools frequently used by various professional and amateur creators, such as Source Filmmaker and the Source Engines.
Legal disputes[edit | edit source]
Steam's predominance has led to Valve becoming involved in various legal cases.[1]
| Dispute Title | Year started and ended
(if concluded) |
Background Information | Aftermath | Related Articles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACCC v. Valve Corporation[2] | 2014–2016 | During this lawsuit, Valve was found by the Australian Federal Court to have refused to offer refunds for faulty or broken products. | Users now have the ability to easily refund games they purchased, so long as they follow the refund policy. | |
| UFC Que Choisir v. Valve Corporation[3] | 2015–2019
(still disputed) |
UFC Que Choisir sued Valve on the grounds that users deserved to resell their digital licenses. | Users in France had the right to resell their digital Steam library, overturned in October 2024. | |
| McLeod v. Valve Corp.[4] | 2016 | MacLeod started the first antitrust case against Valve Corp. over the sale of their games. | Absorbed into another legal dispute; continues to be dismissed within Seattle courts. | |
| Wolfire Games v. Valve Corp.[5] | 2021–2022 | The first notable antitrust case against Valve's unfair market manipulation of their games. | Absorbed into another dispute/now a class action lawsuit.[6] | |
| Sean Colvin (and various others) v. Valve Corporation, CD Projekt S.A., CD Projekt, Inc., Ubisoft Entertainment S.A., Ubisoft, Inc., Ubisoft L.A., Inc., kChamp Games, Inc., Rust, LLC, and Devolver Digital, Inc.[7] | 2021 - Unfinised | Five individuals in California sued Valve (among various other publishers) over participating in anti-competitive behavior with the Steam platform, most notably over the sale of games for lesser prices on other platforms. | Not concluded because of indefinite postponement by Valve. | |
| Bucher Law PLCC v. Valve Corp.[8][9][10] | C.A. 2021 - Unfinished | A companion to previous lawsuits against Valve over their anti-competitive monopoly, this time covering consumers over their purchase of games on Steam. | Not concluded, slowly being arbitrated. |
Anti-Consumer Practices[edit | edit source]
Steam users do not own their games (2024)[edit | edit source]
[To be worked on] Sources: [11][12]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_(service)#Legal_disputes
- ↑ "Federal Court finds Valve made misleading representations about consumer guarantees". ACCC. 29 Mar 2016. Retrieved 7 Apr 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Tough Times Ahead for Digital Video Game Resellers: French Supreme Court Ruling in UFC Que Choisir v. Valve". Fox Mandal. 4 Dec 2024. Retrieved 7 Apr 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ https://casetext.com/case/mcleod-v-valve-corp
- ↑ https://casetext.com/case/wolfire-games-llc-v-valve-corp-7
- ↑ Chalk, Andy (28 Nov 2024). "The antitrust lawsuit against Steam is now a class action, and that could have big repercussions for Valve". PC Gamer. Retrieved 7 Apr 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Gardner, Eriq (28 Jan 2021). "Popular Gaming Platform Accused of Abusing Market Power Through Contracts". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 7 Apr 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ https://www.bucherlawfirm.com/valve
- ↑ "Bucher Law Steam Lawsuit". LawGud. Retrieved 7 Apr 2025.
- ↑ https://www.bucherlawfirm.com/_files/ugd/38f6ef_69ae2fee5c5548538d526669d99be533.pdf
- ↑ Chalk, Andy (11 Oct 2024). "Steam's new disclaimer reminds everyone that you don't actually own your games, GOG moves in for the killshot: Its offline installers 'cannot be taken away from you'". PC Gamer. Retrieved 7 Apr 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Shakir, Umar (11 Oct 2024). "Steam now says the 'game' you're buying is really just a license". The Verge. Retrieved 7 Apr 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)