Sony's unsolicited EULA email tells PlayStation users their digital games are licensed, not owned, arriving just as the #PSBlackout boycott kicks off.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/74416381

The relevant section is blunt. “The Software is licensed to you, not sold,” the EULA states. “You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, and personal license to play or use the Software for your private, non-commercial use on the system or device it was intended for.”

The terms also restrict renting, modifying, or obtaining games through unauthorised means. Nothing in there is new, technically. Sony’s EULA has always said this. The timing is what makes it land differently right now.

  • NewNewAugustEast@lemmy.zip
    1·
    4 hours ago

    I mentioned the key as a tool in general, not necessarily related to the PSP. Just all devices. Or even updates that could change the way a game worked, making it not work anymore.

    Lets look at the license from Sony:

    Here is my license agreement from my PS1:

    “The Software is licensed to you, not sold. You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, and personal license to play or use the Software for your private, non-commercial use on the system or device it was intended for.”

    And their current agreement with a PS5:

    “The Software is licensed to you, not sold. You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, and personal license to play or use the Software for your private, non-commercial use on the system or device it was intended for.”

    30 years and its almost exactly the same.

    That is what I said. Nothing changed.

    You are wanting to talk about physical vs digital ownership, but I already said I wasnt talking about that, but it also didn’t change, as they had exactly the same words during the PS1, you just didnt see it because you were not a developer. You were not allowed to share, transfer, use anything digitally transferred.

    Yet there is a history of nothing changing for the consumer as well:

    By the time the PS2 came out, in Japan they were selling online games. As well as the PS3 and even the PSP GO. All with non transferable licenses.

    So even in those cases, its been constant and nothing changed today that hasnt been around for a very long time.

    Now lets talk about software promised and removed, and this is one example, but it is sony and was huge:

    Sony sold the PS3 with Linux support. Sony said I could put another OS on it, or I could get Yellow Dog Linux. There was a presentation that said I could watch movies, program the ps3, listen to music, view photos, etc.

    Then they updated the firmware and took that away. They mandated the update, and broke the software, even when I owned the Disc it was on.

    Same as it ever was: if you have an online device they can screw you. Its a hardware issue, you have no control over that so, as it has been since the ps3: never buy sony.