The Valve vs Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) saga has been long and drawn out, but today the High Court of Australia has upheld a December 2017 ruling, meaning that Valve will have to pay a AU$3 million fine for engaging in "misleading or deceptive conduct."
It's a decision years in the making. In 2014 the ACCC launched legal action against Valve. The crux of the argument: The ACCC believed that Valve (owners of Steam, the world's largest PC games online marketplace) was in breach of Australian Consumer Law.
The major issue was Valve's lack of a refund policy. Any business that sells product in Australia, digital or otherwise, is subject to Australian consumer law, and Australian consumer law demands that all companies must provide refunds on faulty goods.
Valve introduced an official refunds policy in June 2015, but in 2014 Valve explicitly did not offer refunds. There were occasions where Valve provided refunds on a case-by-case basis, but Valve's official policy was no refunds.
"As with most software products," read the policy, "unless required by local law, we do not offer refunds or exchanges on games, DLC or in-game items purchased on our website or through the Steam Client."
"Unless required by local law" was the sticking point, because in Australia Valve was required by local law to provide refunds, but didn't.
Valve's response to the lawsuit was interesting. First, it argued it technically didn't conduct business in Australia, therefore Australian Consumer Law did not apply to Valve and the games it sold through the Steam client. Secondly, Valve argued the games being sold through the Steam client didn't fit underneath the definition of "goods" as per Australian Consumer Law.
The Federal Court of Australia did not agree with those claims.
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 22 2018, @01:47AM (3 children)
Oh no! Can't pay! We at Valve aren't even in business, see? All our coders are Indian outsourced! No employees here! We not havey the mooney!!
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Sunday April 22 2018, @04:40AM (1 child)
The world's biggest shitposters got shitposted. Oh, the horror.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 22 2018, @05:57AM
You sound stupid.
(Score: 2) by corey on Monday April 23 2018, @02:21AM
Sounds just like the Uber playbook. Just a "technology platform to connect riders with rides". No liabilities but all the profits, thanks.
Oh, awesome, and just in time for my post. News in that The ACCC (in Australia its a trusted and respected upholder of consumer rights run by the govt) is going to investigate Uber Eats:
http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-23/uber-eats-investigation/9686942 [abc.net.au]
(Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 22 2018, @01:58AM (2 children)
$3 million? I'm sure Gabe Newell can get that by checking underneath the cushions in his couch.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 22 2018, @04:41AM (1 child)
$3 million is asscrack lint to Billionaire Techbros.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 22 2018, @01:11PM
$3 million Australian is asscrack lint to most people.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 22 2018, @04:50AM
You know, this must involve sheep. Problem with Australiania, is they had no decent animals. The only native mammal is the Dingo, a feral dog. So they British prisoners who were sent there thought they need to import some "proper" animals, like sheep, and horses, and camels, and artichokes. And, wait for it! rabbits. Did not go well. they had to build a "Rabbit-proof fence" across the entire sub-continent, to save the forage for the sheep. And, it is the title of a great movie about British and Australian racism. No wonder the Crash Bandicoot emerged as vengeance on these racist bastards.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 22 2018, @08:58AM (1 child)
So now you can scam Valve out of their video games. I'm sure you're very proud of yourselves. If I was Newell, I'd pull out of your shit hole.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by evilcam on Monday April 23 2018, @02:55AM
I don't think you understand any of what has transpired here...
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday April 23 2018, @03:38PM
I'm glad there's a feature that allows you to return a game. That's a feature you wouldn't normally get in the USA. You just need to make sure you buy it from Steam and not a retail box with a Steam code.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"