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Giant stop killing games updates 2026

By Erasmus Roterodamnsus, in English

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Erasmus Roterodamnsus   

Erasmus Roterodamnsus
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Good times. Colorized SMI. Looks like Ross is more considerate of not putting annotations near where the subtitles could be, so I didn't have to position them. Lots of researching legal terms. Nelson Sexton was able to build this in a cave. 

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<SYNC Start=333><P Class=ENUSCC>Hello.
<SYNC Start=1640><P Class=ENUSCC>I have not had many updates
<SYNC Start=3188><P Class=ENUSCC>on the Stop Killing Games<br>campaign in a while,
<SYNC Start=5801><P Class=ENUSCC>but this is not for a lack<br>of things to talk about.
<SYNC Start=9390><P Class=ENUSCC>If you recall in the wrap up video,
<SYNC Start=11636><P Class=ENUSCC>I said I don't like doing<br>the news on it now,
<SYNC Start=13833><P Class=ENUSCC>unless there's more<br>of a purpose to it.
<SYNC Start=16473><P Class=ENUSCC>See, ever since<br>we got the signatures
<SYNC Start=18268><P Class=ENUSCC>on the European<br>Citizens' Initiative,
<SYNC Start=20486><P Class=ENUSCC>I've been more or less<br>following orders
<SYNC Start=22534><P Class=ENUSCC>from the political insiders<br>who have been assisting us.
<SYNC Start=25652><P Class=ENUSCC>And it's become much less about<br>getting internet attention
<SYNC Start=28468><P Class=ENUSCC>and far more about<br>political maneuvering
<SYNC Start=30553><P Class=ENUSCC>and attention of regulators,<br>that sort of thing.
<SYNC Start=33496><P Class=ENUSCC>I've been sitting<br>on lots of information
<SYNC Start=35301><P Class=ENUSCC>because that's what they advised.
<SYNC Start=37369><P Class=ENUSCC>And now I'm being advised to<br>tell everyone what's happening,
<SYNC Start=39943><P Class=ENUSCC>or... most of it.
<SYNC Start=41433><P Class=ENUSCC>So on that note,<br>I have lots of updates.
<SYNC Start=44386><P Class=ENUSCC>Some of it is maybe bad news,
<SYNC Start=46468><P Class=ENUSCC>but most of it is good news.
<SYNC Start=48607><P Class=ENUSCC>In fact, let me start off by saying<br>I think we're going to win this,
<SYNC Start=52360><P Class=ENUSCC>namely, the problem of<br>publishers destroying video games
<SYNC Start=55595><P Class=ENUSCC>that you've already paid for.
<SYNC Start=57483><P Class=ENUSCC>Now, what I can't say is when<br>or which method will happen first.
<SYNC Start=62583><P Class=ENUSCC>We have so many avenues in play,
<SYNC Start=64604><P Class=ENUSCC>and the more I learn,
<SYNC Start=66036><P Class=ENUSCC>the more I see this could<br>become a quite convoluted path.
<SYNC Start=69633><P Class=ENUSCC>But the reason I have so much<br>faith in us getting a win
<SYNC Start=72561><P Class=ENUSCC>is that the law<br>is on our side on this.
<SYNC Start=75652><P Class=ENUSCC>We could lose five paths<br>we're pursuing and still get a win.
<SYNC Start=80167><P Class=ENUSCC>Let's start with the<br>maybe bad news first.
<SYNC Start=83567><P Class=ENUSCC>The meeting with the EU Commission<br>is coming up very soon
<SYNC Start=87018><P Class=ENUSCC>and we actually have<br>no idea what to expect.
<SYNC Start=90159><P Class=ENUSCC>Now, what I'm hoping happens
<SYNC Start=91834><P Class=ENUSCC>is once we've explained what's<br>going on in the games industry
<SYNC Start=94927><P Class=ENUSCC>and how the practice<br>of game destruction
<SYNC Start=96654><P Class=ENUSCC>is largely violating EU law,
<SYNC Start=99286><P Class=ENUSCC>the Commission will<br>realize there's a problem
<SYNC Start=101401><P Class=ENUSCC>and bring our proposal<br>to EU Parliament
<SYNC Start=103955><P Class=ENUSCC>or at the very least,<br>clarify existing law on the issue.
<SYNC Start=107550><P Class=ENUSCC>However, we've had some<br>events that could suggest
<SYNC Start=110392><P Class=ENUSCC>that won't be what will happen.
<SYNC Start=112865><P Class=ENUSCC>One of the biggest is<br>this will actually not be
<SYNC Start=115155><P Class=ENUSCC>our first meeting<br>with the Commission.
<SYNC Start=117680><P Class=ENUSCC>Back in October,
<SYNC Start=118801><P Class=ENUSCC>members of the Initiative were<br>invited to discuss the possibility
<SYNC Start=122101><P Class=ENUSCC>of getting our issue added<br>to the Digital Fairness Act.
<SYNC Start=126000><P Class=ENUSCC>Now, I wasn't there,<br>so I'm getting this secondhand,
<SYNC Start=128833><P Class=ENUSCC>but from what I've been told,<br>it wasn't great.
<SYNC Start=131800><P Class=ENUSCC>I'm told it felt like the Commission
<SYNC Start=133608><P Class=ENUSCC>had been prompted<br>with lines from the industry.
<SYNC Start=136267><P Class=ENUSCC>They apparently kept emphasizing
<SYNC Start=138034><P Class=ENUSCC>how video games are a<br>"living, breathing thing"
<SYNC Start=141611><P Class=ENUSCC>because of constant updates.
<SYNC Start=144098><P Class=ENUSCC>Oh, yeah.
<SYNC Start=145306><P Class=ENUSCC>That <i>totally</i> doesn't<br>sound like an expression
<SYNC Start=147634><P Class=ENUSCC>the industry came up with.
<SYNC Start=149599><P Class=ENUSCC>Though, I admit,
<SYNC Start=150734><P Class=ENUSCC>that description pairs well with<br>the Stop <i>Killing</i> Games movement.
<SYNC Start=155581><P Class=ENUSCC>I'm pleased with how<br>the organizers responded to this,
<SYNC Start=158714><P Class=ENUSCC>explaining that your phone<br>receives lots of updates also,
<SYNC Start=162230><P Class=ENUSCC>but if software support ends,
<SYNC Start=163977><P Class=ENUSCC>you still get to keep your phone.
<SYNC Start=166267><P Class=ENUSCC>They were also concerned about this
<SYNC Start=167801><P Class=ENUSCC>preventing new games<br>from being made.
<SYNC Start=169903><P Class=ENUSCC>Specifically, teenagers in their<br>bedrooms creating small games.
<SYNC Start=174683><P Class=ENUSCC>Now, my first thought was,
<SYNC Start=176371><P Class=ENUSCC>"Oh, yeah,
<SYNC Start=177803><P Class=ENUSCC>all those teen solo developers<br>creating live service games."
<SYNC Start=183074><P Class=ENUSCC>You may as well be worried<br>about discouraging teen lawyers
<SYNC Start=186151><P Class=ENUSCC>from opening up law firms<br>out of their bedrooms.
<SYNC Start=189233><P Class=ENUSCC>I mean, the vast majority<br>of developers, let alone teens,
<SYNC Start=193280><P Class=ENUSCC>are not making live service games,
<SYNC Start=196430><P Class=ENUSCC>especially the kinds that create<br>the most problems in the industry.
<SYNC Start=199903><P Class=ENUSCC>But then it hit me:
<SYNC Start=201163><P Class=ENUSCC>Wait a minute.
<SYNC Start=202586><P Class=ENUSCC>I actually can think of a teen<br>who made a live service game.
<SYNC Start=206567><P Class=ENUSCC>Nelson Sexton made the game <i>Unturned</i>
<SYNC Start=209668><P Class=ENUSCC>at 16 years old.
<SYNC Start=211713><P Class=ENUSCC>It's intended primarily<br>for online play
<SYNC Start=214464><P Class=ENUSCC>and receives frequent updates.
<SYNC Start=216751><P Class=ENUSCC>There are many who would define that<br>as a live service game.
<SYNC Start=220567><P Class=ENUSCC>Oh, oh!
<SYNC Start=221588><P Class=ENUSCC>But what's this?
<SYNC Start=222900><P Class=ENUSCC>It already had<br>private server support?
<SYNC Start=225967><P Class=ENUSCC>So, he was never part of<br>the problem in the first place!
<SYNC Start=228967><P Class=ENUSCC>So, this exact<br>and very rare scenario
<SYNC Start=232467><P Class=ENUSCC>that the Commission<br>is concerned about
<SYNC Start=234326><P Class=ENUSCC>has already happened.
<SYNC Start=236386><P Class=ENUSCC>And if our Initiative had existed,
<SYNC Start=238500><P Class=ENUSCC>it wouldn't have interfered<br>with him in any way.
<SYNC Start=241416><P Class=ENUSCC>Everything would<br>have still been fine.
<SYNC Start=244156><P Class=ENUSCC>And it wasn't small either.
<SYNC Start=246000><P Class=ENUSCC>It's had 24 million players.
<SYNC Start=248600><P Class=ENUSCC>So, a 16-year-old was able to<br>figure out how to do this in 2014,
<SYNC Start=253517><P Class=ENUSCC>but major publishers worth billions
<SYNC Start=256171><P Class=ENUSCC>just keep struggling<br>with this concept.
<SYNC Start=259323><P Class=ENUSCC>I'm having a flashback here.
<SYNC Start=261580><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#00ffff">It's impossible.</font>
<SYNC Start=262933><P Class=ENUSCC><i>Nelson Sexton</i> <font color="#ffff00">WAS ABLE<br>TO BUILD THIS IN A CAVE!</font>
<SYNC Start=267685><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00">WITH A BOX OF SCRAPS!</font>
<SYNC Start=269767><P Class=ENUSCC>Though a developer does<br>not have to be Iron Man
<SYNC Start=272668><P Class=ENUSCC>to not destroy their game.
<SYNC Start=274783><P Class=ENUSCC>On the contrary, the vast<br>majority of them don't do this.
<SYNC Start=278565><P Class=ENUSCC>A publisher has to go<br>out of their way
<SYNC Start=280434><P Class=ENUSCC>and do lots of extra work
<SYNC Start=282485><P Class=ENUSCC>to design a game to stop<br>working when support ends.
<SYNC Start=285371><P Class=ENUSCC>It's a very deliberate decision.
<SYNC Start=287833><P Class=ENUSCC>Also in the meeting was<br>our old favorite talking point.
<SYNC Start=291159><P Class=ENUSCC>The Commission was concerned<br>that we were asking for
<SYNC Start=293201><P Class=ENUSCC>endless support from publishers.
<SYNC Start=295885><P Class=ENUSCC>It was explained, no, we're not.
<SYNC Start=299376><P Class=ENUSCC>Publishers can end support<br>any time they want.
<SYNC Start=303276><P Class=ENUSCC>We're asking that they don't <i>also</i>
<SYNC Start=305618><P Class=ENUSCC>destroy what they've already sold<br>to the customer when they do so.
<SYNC Start=310132><P Class=ENUSCC>I don't blame the Commission<br>for needing clarity on that point.
<SYNC Start=313329><P Class=ENUSCC>The industry keeps trying to push<br>this mischaracterization of us
<SYNC Start=316533><P Class=ENUSCC>over
<SYNC Start=317568><P Class=ENUSCC>and over
<SYNC Start=318901><P Class=ENUSCC>and over.
<SYNC Start=320550><P Class=ENUSCC>Anyway, there were mixed<br>opinions on the meeting,
<SYNC Start=323400><P Class=ENUSCC>but I'm told the overall vibe<br>was that it felt like the Commission
<SYNC Start=326468><P Class=ENUSCC>was trying to find reasons to<br>not include our Initiative,
<SYNC Start=330060><P Class=ENUSCC>which is unfortunate,
<SYNC Start=331481><P Class=ENUSCC>since I'm told by EU staff
<SYNC Start=333267><P Class=ENUSCC>that we set a record in the number<br>of comments received by the public
<SYNC Start=336930><P Class=ENUSCC>on a pending EU act
<SYNC Start=338671><P Class=ENUSCC>for trying to be included<br>in the Digital Fairness Act.
<SYNC Start=341382><P Class=ENUSCC>Additionally, if you look at the<br>purpose of the Digital Fairness Act,
<SYNC Start=345230><P Class=ENUSCC>look at what it says<br>it's trying to address.
<SYNC Start=347648><P Class=ENUSCC>"According to the<br>European Commission,
<SYNC Start=349603><P Class=ENUSCC>the effectiveness of EU consumer<br>protection is undermined
<SYNC Start=353233><P Class=ENUSCC>by insufficient enforcement,
<SYNC Start=355091><P Class=ENUSCC>legal uncertainty,
<SYNC Start=356580><P Class=ENUSCC>increasing risk of<br>regulatory fragmentation
<SYNC Start=359167><P Class=ENUSCC>across Member States'<br>national approaches,
<SYNC Start=361764><P Class=ENUSCC>and the lack of<br>incentives for businesses
<SYNC Start=363701><P Class=ENUSCC>to aim for the highest<br>standard of protection."
<SYNC Start=366443><P Class=ENUSCC>That perfectly<br>describes our problems
<SYNC Start=368634><P Class=ENUSCC>with how the law is<br>currently functioning
<SYNC Start=370434><P Class=ENUSCC>in regards to publishers<br>destroying games.
<SYNC Start=373120><P Class=ENUSCC>And part of the Act is even<br>focused on video games.
<SYNC Start=376665><P Class=ENUSCC>So yeah,
<SYNC Start=377526><P Class=ENUSCC>I'm missing how our issue
<SYNC Start=379001><P Class=ENUSCC>is a poor fit for the<br>Digital Fairness Act.
<SYNC Start=382112><P Class=ENUSCC>But it wasn't just that.
<SYNC Start=383600><P Class=ENUSCC>The meeting kind of bled over<br>into the Citizens' Initiative also.
<SYNC Start=387525><P Class=ENUSCC>But the real closer came at the end,
<SYNC Start=389801><P Class=ENUSCC>where the Commission<br>told us point blank
<SYNC Start=391942><P Class=ENUSCC>they are pursuing a<br>"deregulatory agenda."
<SYNC Start=395683><P Class=ENUSCC>And yes,
<SYNC Start=397117><P Class=ENUSCC>the Initiative is<br>asking for regulation.
<SYNC Start=400223><P Class=ENUSCC>So if the Commission has already<br>decided it wants to deregulate,
<SYNC Start=403919><P Class=ENUSCC>I could see where that<br>might be a problem.
<SYNC Start=406140><P Class=ENUSCC>Now, ironically,<br>after the meeting was over,
<SYNC Start=408860><P Class=ENUSCC>I'm told some legal experts involved<br>came up to the organizers
<SYNC Start=412311><P Class=ENUSCC>and said to please pursue<br>this issue because it's worthwhile
<SYNC Start=416051><P Class=ENUSCC>and it is a fight that<br>needs to be fought.
<SYNC Start=419280><P Class=ENUSCC>See, stuff like this is<br>exactly why I have no idea
<SYNC Start=423033><P Class=ENUSCC>which way the Commission<br>is going to go on this.
<SYNC Start=425467><P Class=ENUSCC>More on that point,<br>this next part gets weird.
<SYNC Start=428880><P Class=ENUSCC>On July 10th of last year,
<SYNC Start=431333><P Class=ENUSCC>back when we were still collecting<br>signatures for the Initiative,
<SYNC Start=434866><P Class=ENUSCC>the EU Commission<br>released a statement
<SYNC Start=437020><P Class=ENUSCC>titled "Ready Player EU."
<SYNC Start=439707><P Class=ENUSCC>It then took it down the next day
<SYNC Start=441815><P Class=ENUSCC>so fast there wasn't even time<br>for Wayback Machine to archive it.
<SYNC Start=445731><P Class=ENUSCC>I never even got a chance<br>to read this article.
<SYNC Start=448230><P Class=ENUSCC>However, a reporter for<br>news outlet <i>Euractiv</i> did,
<SYNC Start=451533><P Class=ENUSCC>and you can see<br>the headline for yourself.
<SYNC Start=454032><P Class=ENUSCC>"Commission preparing token gesture
<SYNC Start=456034><P Class=ENUSCC>for angry gamers and<br>game developers."
<SYNC Start=458633><P Class=ENUSCC>"The EU Commission is preparing<br>a non-binding Communication
<SYNC Start=461701><P Class=ENUSCC>on the video game sector,
<SYNC Start=463241><P Class=ENUSCC>likely in response to<br>an ongoing citizens' initiative
<SYNC Start=466160><P Class=ENUSCC>calling for rules to<br>'stop killing games'."
<SYNC Start=468991><P Class=ENUSCC>What's more,<br>in the article, it says,
<SYNC Start=470949><P Class=ENUSCC>"A spokesperson<br>blamed a technical glitch
<SYNC Start=473520><P Class=ENUSCC>but said full publication<br>is planned for 2026."
<SYNC Start=477133><P Class=ENUSCC>Huh.
<SYNC Start=478513><P Class=ENUSCC>I'm honestly not sure<br>what to make of this.
<SYNC Start=481000><P Class=ENUSCC>And the political insiders<br>helping us aren't either.
<SYNC Start=483888><P Class=ENUSCC>Or rather, they're divided.
<SYNC Start=485807><P Class=ENUSCC>Some say that the <i>Euractiv</i> article<br>misread it and this means nothing.
<SYNC Start=489699><P Class=ENUSCC>Others are saying,
<SYNC Start=490601><P Class=ENUSCC>"No, that article is<br>reading between the lines,
<SYNC Start=493617><P Class=ENUSCC>and the EU Commission<br>has already decided
<SYNC Start=495734><P Class=ENUSCC>to make a non-binding<br>statement on this issue,
<SYNC Start=498059><P Class=ENUSCC>probably encouraging<br>the industry to self-regulate."
<SYNC Start=501840><P Class=ENUSCC>Well, I feel like this<br>goes without saying,
<SYNC Start=503821><P Class=ENUSCC>but in case it doesn't,
<SYNC Start=505534><P Class=ENUSCC>self-regulation from the industry<br>is not a good solution
<SYNC Start=509568><P Class=ENUSCC>for two big reasons.
<SYNC Start=511891><P Class=ENUSCC>Probably more,<br>but I can think of two.
<SYNC Start=514433><P Class=ENUSCC>First, the practice of publishers<br>deliberately destroying games
<SYNC Start=518001><P Class=ENUSCC>with no expiration date
<SYNC Start=519701><P Class=ENUSCC>that customers have already paid for
<SYNC Start=521734><P Class=ENUSCC>has been going on<br>for at least 13 years.
<SYNC Start=524928><P Class=ENUSCC><i>BattleForge</i> is a notable example of<br>one of the earlier ones from 2013.
<SYNC Start=529400><P Class=ENUSCC>So, the industry has already had<br>over a decade to self-regulate,
<SYNC Start=534576><P Class=ENUSCC>and that's led to the<br>situation becoming so bad,
<SYNC Start=537463><P Class=ENUSCC>that's what led to<br>over a million people
<SYNC Start=539419><P Class=ENUSCC>petitioning the<br>EU Commission about it.
<SYNC Start=541677><P Class=ENUSCC>And they're still going!
<SYNC Start=543600><P Class=ENUSCC>Hell, at the time of this video,
<SYNC Start=545506><P Class=ENUSCC><i>Anthem</i> got permanently disabled<br>by Electronic Arts just last month.
<SYNC Start=550320><P Class=ENUSCC>It sold 5 million copies<br>and now no one can run it again,
<SYNC Start=553920><P Class=ENUSCC>and people are not getting refunds.
<SYNC Start=556200><P Class=ENUSCC>This is what industry<br>self-regulation looks like.
<SYNC Start=559440><P Class=ENUSCC>We're living it.
<SYNC Start=560880><P Class=ENUSCC>So, we've already tried it<br>this way for over a decade,
<SYNC Start=564240><P Class=ENUSCC>and it's getting worse.
<SYNC Start=566080><P Class=ENUSCC>That's why we want law enforcement.
<SYNC Start=568301><P Class=ENUSCC>Believe me,
<SYNC Start=569168><P Class=ENUSCC>I was hoping the industry<br>would solve this themselves.
<SYNC Start=572560><P Class=ENUSCC>I don't want to be doing this.
<SYNC Start=574467><P Class=ENUSCC>Second, the industry<br>has built a history
<SYNC Start=577134><P Class=ENUSCC>showing it's <i>terrible</i><br>at regulating itself on this issue.
<SYNC Start=581280><P Class=ENUSCC>I refer back to my earlier video
<SYNC Start=583360><P Class=ENUSCC>where volunteers did a study
<SYNC Start=585200><P Class=ENUSCC>examining as many games<br>as they could find
<SYNC Start=587520><P Class=ENUSCC>requiring a connection<br>to the publisher.
<SYNC Start=590160><P Class=ENUSCC>Well, we've since<br>updated those results
<SYNC Start=592068><P Class=ENUSCC>on a wiki anyone can check out.
<SYNC Start=594167><P Class=ENUSCC>Out of over 600 games<br>with this design
<SYNC Start=596480><P Class=ENUSCC>that the industry<br>has ended support on,
<SYNC Start=598640><P Class=ENUSCC>the publisher let the<br>customer keep their purchase
<SYNC Start=600834><P Class=ENUSCC>about 4 to 6% of the time,
<SYNC Start=603215><P Class=ENUSCC>depending on how you measure it,
<SYNC Start=604720><P Class=ENUSCC>due to some games only<br>being partially destroyed.
<SYNC Start=607520><P Class=ENUSCC>But let's take the most generous<br>interpretation and say it's 6.5%.
<SYNC Start=612467><P Class=ENUSCC>That's terrible under any standard.
<SYNC Start=615360><P Class=ENUSCC>If you scored 6.5% on a test,<br>that would be a failure.
<SYNC Start=619824><P Class=ENUSCC>Self-regulation is not working.
<SYNC Start=622467><P Class=ENUSCC>So, I don't know what to make<br>of this leak by the EU Commission.
<SYNC Start=625440><P Class=ENUSCC>But if that <i>Euractiv</i><br>article is true,
<SYNC Start=627600><P Class=ENUSCC>then I admit,<br>that caught us off guard,
<SYNC Start=630240><P Class=ENUSCC>because that means<br>the decision was already made
<SYNC Start=632320><P Class=ENUSCC>before we even got a chance<br>to present our evidence.
<SYNC Start=634880><P Class=ENUSCC>We were still collecting signatures.
<SYNC Start=636800><P Class=ENUSCC>I mean, if you look at
<SYNC Start=637901><P Class=ENUSCC>the European Citizens'<br>Initiative process,
<SYNC Start=640320><P Class=ENUSCC>that's like taking the<br>absolute final step of the process
<SYNC Start=643520><P Class=ENUSCC>and moving it up to step three here.
<SYNC Start=645919><P Class=ENUSCC>Well, if that's what's happened
<SYNC Start=647168><P Class=ENUSCC>and the decision's<br>already been made,
<SYNC Start=649120><P Class=ENUSCC>wouldn't that make<br>the other steps pointless?
<SYNC Start=651440><P Class=ENUSCC>It kind of reminds me<br>of an old <i>Onion</i> video
<SYNC Start=653680><P Class=ENUSCC>about the election results<br>accidentally being leaked
<SYNC Start=656254><P Class=ENUSCC>before the election.
<SYNC Start=657687><P Class=ENUSCC>Oops.
<SYNC Start=658440><P Class=ENUSCC>Now, just to be clear,<br>I'm not saying that's what happened.
<SYNC Start=662073><P Class=ENUSCC>I don't know.
<SYNC Start=663440><P Class=ENUSCC>I'm saying having this leaked
<SYNC Start=664880><P Class=ENUSCC>during the height of our<br>signature-gathering was weird
<SYNC Start=668160><P Class=ENUSCC>and that <i>Euractiv</i> article
<SYNC Start=669751><P Class=ENUSCC>only increased our concerns
<SYNC Start=671600><P Class=ENUSCC>about whatever the<br>EU Commission has planned.
<SYNC Start=674320><P Class=ENUSCC>Now, I'm hoping this is all just us<br>worrying about nothing,
<SYNC Start=677977><P Class=ENUSCC>but I've seen this issue<br>get ignored again and again,
<SYNC Start=681357><P Class=ENUSCC>long before the Commission<br>ever heard of it.
<SYNC Start=684000><P Class=ENUSCC>So, I'm kind of biased<br>to expect the worst here.
<SYNC Start=687120><P Class=ENUSCC>I'm just showing everyone<br>why we have concerns
<SYNC Start=689600><P Class=ENUSCC>the meeting might not go well.
<SYNC Start=691867><P Class=ENUSCC>So, that's the maybe bad news.
<SYNC Start=694800><P Class=ENUSCC>There's a lot of good news.
<SYNC Start=696991><P Class=ENUSCC>Because we don't know<br>what kind of answer
<SYNC Start=698960><P Class=ENUSCC>we're going to get<br>from the Commission,
<SYNC Start=700480><P Class=ENUSCC>we're trying not to<br>take any chances.
<SYNC Start=702800><P Class=ENUSCC>Thanks to volunteer help,
<SYNC Start=704320><P Class=ENUSCC>we've been making serious<br>inroads in EU Parliament,
<SYNC Start=707680><P Class=ENUSCC>and at this stage,
<SYNC Start=708880><P Class=ENUSCC>I've been told we have<br>majority support,
<SYNC Start=711840><P Class=ENUSCC>and our issue will be<br>brought before Parliament
<SYNC Start=714320><P Class=ENUSCC>and it's in a good position<br>to get passed.
<SYNC Start=716960><P Class=ENUSCC>Now, EU policy-making<br>is quite complex,
<SYNC Start=719600><P Class=ENUSCC>so there are more steps beyond that,
<SYNC Start=721520><P Class=ENUSCC>but that's good news.
<SYNC Start=723500><P Class=ENUSCC>Next, the movement as a whole<br>will be launching an official NGO
<SYNC Start=727840><P Class=ENUSCC>on the issue of game destruction.
<SYNC Start=730160><P Class=ENUSCC>Now, if you're like me,
<SYNC Start=731280><P Class=ENUSCC>you may have some skepticism<br>on how much this can do,
<SYNC Start=734240><P Class=ENUSCC>but there are definite advantages.
<SYNC Start=736480><P Class=ENUSCC>The first is<br>this will allow us to do
<SYNC Start=738134><P Class=ENUSCC>long-term counter-lobbying<br>on this issue.
<SYNC Start=741360><P Class=ENUSCC>I mean, we're hoping to get<br>the Citizens' Initiative passed
<SYNC Start=744240><P Class=ENUSCC>or added to the<br>Digital Fairness Act,
<SYNC Start=746586><P Class=ENUSCC>but if those fail,
<SYNC Start=748241><P Class=ENUSCC>there's still the possibility<br>of being added
<SYNC Start=750094><P Class=ENUSCC>to the Digital Content<br>Directive revision.
<SYNC Start=752720><P Class=ENUSCC>We're trying to find a way in<br>any way we can.
<SYNC Start=755767><P Class=ENUSCC>This will also signal that we're<br>not just going away on this issue.
<SYNC Start=760080><P Class=ENUSCC>I mean, I might,
<SYNC Start=760960><P Class=ENUSCC>I've been at this for over a decade,
<SYNC Start=762706><P Class=ENUSCC>but the movement isn't.
<SYNC Start=764560><P Class=ENUSCC>If there's a lobbyist<br>showing up again and again
<SYNC Start=767201><P Class=ENUSCC>at the EU Commission,
<SYNC Start=768640><P Class=ENUSCC>that might influence things.
<SYNC Start=770800><P Class=ENUSCC>This will also allow<br>for more watchdog action.
<SYNC Start=773560><P Class=ENUSCC>Like if you recall,
<SYNC Start=774568><P Class=ENUSCC>I helped organize<br>a multilingual site
<SYNC Start=776880><P Class=ENUSCC>with easy-to-follow instructions<br>for reporting on <i>The Crew</i>
<SYNC Start=780534><P Class=ENUSCC>to consumer protection agencies.
<SYNC Start=782600><P Class=ENUSCC>Well, maybe the NGO<br>could set something like that up
<SYNC Start=785407><P Class=ENUSCC>for <i>every</i> big shutdown where<br>the game is destroyed in the future.
<SYNC Start=789760><P Class=ENUSCC>There are lots of smaller angles too<br>that could increase the pressure.
<SYNC Start=793200><P Class=ENUSCC>Like, I would bet it starts to get<br>a lot easier to get refunds on games
<SYNC Start=797280><P Class=ENUSCC>that get destroyed<br>in many countries,
<SYNC Start=799771><P Class=ENUSCC>even before all the<br>legal matters are settled.
<SYNC Start=802667><P Class=ENUSCC>Now, there's a lot<br>of people involved now,
<SYNC Start=804640><P Class=ENUSCC>so I'm not trying to dismiss anyone,
<SYNC Start=806800><P Class=ENUSCC>but you can thank Moritz Katzner and<br>his team for spearheading the NGO
<SYNC Start=811200><P Class=ENUSCC>and helping us with so much<br>influence in Parliament.
<SYNC Start=814464><P Class=ENUSCC>Since we got the signatures,
<SYNC Start=816231><P Class=ENUSCC>in my opinion,
<SYNC Start=817680><P Class=ENUSCC>he's been doing as much for the<br>movement in the political sphere
<SYNC Start=821074><P Class=ENUSCC>as I did on the issue<br>on everything prior to that.
<SYNC Start=824400><P Class=ENUSCC>And I wouldn't wish that on anyone.
<SYNC Start=826560><P Class=ENUSCC>That could be why<br>he tends to not sleep.
<SYNC Start=829360><P Class=ENUSCC>I've told him he should sleep,
<SYNC Start=830768><P Class=ENUSCC>but whatever.
<SYNC Start=832080><P Class=ENUSCC>Edgar Allan Poe<br>didn't like sleep either.
<SYNC Start=834967><P Class=ENUSCC>So, we're going to have<br>a European NGO.
<SYNC Start=837680><P Class=ENUSCC>They'll have more details later.
<SYNC Start=839547><P Class=ENUSCC>But wait, there's more!
<SYNC Start=841851><P Class=ENUSCC>Did I say NGO?
<SYNC Start=843680><P Class=ENUSCC>I meant <i>NGOs</i>.
<SYNC Start=845801><P Class=ENUSCC>There's a second one launching also.
<SYNC Start=849057><P Class=ENUSCC>Yes, there is going to be a second<br>Stop Killing Games NGO,
<SYNC Start=853544><P Class=ENUSCC>except in the United States.
<SYNC Start=856000><P Class=ENUSCC>Political activists in the US<br>were inspired by what we're doing,
<SYNC Start=859520><P Class=ENUSCC>and have secured some real funding.
<SYNC Start=861687><P Class=ENUSCC>And because he's such a workhorse,
<SYNC Start=863680><P Class=ENUSCC>Moritz is helping them<br>by getting the process started
<SYNC Start=866421><P Class=ENUSCC>to pass legislation<br>in multiple states.
<SYNC Start=869440><P Class=ENUSCC>He's even flown out to DC<br>to get the ball rolling.
<SYNC Start=872494><P Class=ENUSCC>It's underway,
<SYNC Start=873600><P Class=ENUSCC>he's setting it up so that<br>the US members will take over.
<SYNC Start=876633><P Class=ENUSCC>I admit, I did not see that coming:
<SYNC Start=879360><P Class=ENUSCC>that we're having law drafted<br>on this in the USA before the EU.
<SYNC Start=884320><P Class=ENUSCC>Now, before people get too excited,
<SYNC Start=886480><P Class=ENUSCC>I've never hidden the fact
<SYNC Start=887680><P Class=ENUSCC>that I'm very skeptical of our odds<br>of changing this in the US,
<SYNC Start=891680><P Class=ENUSCC>because unlike the EU,<br>the legal foundation isn't there.
<SYNC Start=895414><P Class=ENUSCC>So, the <i>only</i> way to fix this<br>is through new law,
<SYNC Start=899360><P Class=ENUSCC>but I would love to have<br>my cynicism proven wrong.
<SYNC Start=902640><P Class=ENUSCC>At the very least,<br>it won't hurt anything,
<SYNC Start=904960><P Class=ENUSCC>and could raise more attention<br>on solving the problem,
<SYNC Start=907360><P Class=ENUSCC>either there or elsewhere.
<SYNC Start=909100><P Class=ENUSCC>Actually, what I kind of<br>hope this does
<SYNC Start=911200><P Class=ENUSCC>is maybe give the<br>industry some pause.
<SYNC Start=913867><P Class=ENUSCC>Like, "Huh..."
<SYNC Start=915134><P Class=ENUSCC>"Should we be spending millions<br>on fighting this issue
<SYNC Start=918080><P Class=ENUSCC>when we could be<br>spending thousands, if that,
<SYNC Start=921137><P Class=ENUSCC>just fixing the problem
<SYNC Start=922800><P Class=ENUSCC>so our customers<br>stop lobbying against us?"
<SYNC Start=926191><P Class=ENUSCC>Like, I get why<br>the industry fights so hard
<SYNC Start=928720><P Class=ENUSCC>against regulating<br>predatory monetization.
<SYNC Start=931840><P Class=ENUSCC>If the video game industry<br>can't push microtransactions
<SYNC Start=935280><P Class=ENUSCC>on kids and gambling addicts easily,
<SYNC Start=938560><P Class=ENUSCC>that could literally<br>cost them billions.
<SYNC Start=940473><P Class=ENUSCC>So, while I'm not a fan of that,
<SYNC Start=943040><P Class=ENUSCC>I at least understand why<br>they spend a lot fighting that.
<SYNC Start=947167><P Class=ENUSCC>But our issue?
<SYNC Start=948906><P Class=ENUSCC>Having barebones end-of-life plans?
<SYNC Start=951981><P Class=ENUSCC>That's peanuts!
<SYNC Start=953767><P Class=ENUSCC>They are absolutely spending more<br>money on lobbyists to fight this
<SYNC Start=958080><P Class=ENUSCC>than it would take to fix<br>their development process,
<SYNC Start=960640><P Class=ENUSCC>and then the cost would be<br>almost nothing afterwards.
<SYNC Start=963600><P Class=ENUSCC>And as a bonus, then their<br>customers would like them more.
<SYNC Start=967233><P Class=ENUSCC>Now, between the two NGOs,
<SYNC Start=969206><P Class=ENUSCC>I'm told they also plan to<br>make this a global movement.
<SYNC Start=972720><P Class=ENUSCC>I don't have any details yet,
<SYNC Start=974240><P Class=ENUSCC>but maybe they could follow up<br>on our consumer action in Australia.
<SYNC Start=978080><P Class=ENUSCC>Or maybe they could get lawsuits<br>back on the table in Brazil
<SYNC Start=980720><P Class=ENUSCC>like we attempted earlier.
<SYNC Start=982400><P Class=ENUSCC>I don't even know everything<br>they have planned,
<SYNC Start=984560><P Class=ENUSCC>but it feels like this is<br>coming together
<SYNC Start=986240><P Class=ENUSCC>to apply pressure on this<br>from all sides.
<SYNC Start=989333><P Class=ENUSCC>But back to the EU.
<SYNC Start=990880><P Class=ENUSCC>I said earlier I think<br>we're going to win this.
<SYNC Start=993520><P Class=ENUSCC>That's because there are<br>two basic ways we can win.
<SYNC Start=996914><P Class=ENUSCC>The first and the best option
<SYNC Start=998960><P Class=ENUSCC>is introducing new law that<br>specifically addresses the problem,
<SYNC Start=1002960><P Class=ENUSCC>like we've been doing.
<SYNC Start=1004560><P Class=ENUSCC>Doing it this way can make<br>the transition as easy as possible,
<SYNC Start=1008320><P Class=ENUSCC>take industry concerns into account,
<SYNC Start=1010320><P Class=ENUSCC>and it's faster.
<SYNC Start=1011867><P Class=ENUSCC>But let's say we lose<br>on all fronts on that.
<SYNC Start=1014960><P Class=ENUSCC>Say the EU Commission<br>doesn't want new regulation,
<SYNC Start=1017840><P Class=ENUSCC>getting support in<br>Parliament isn't enough,
<SYNC Start=1020174><P Class=ENUSCC>we can't push the<br>Citizens' Initiative forward,
<SYNC Start=1022760><P Class=ENUSCC>we can't get in the<br>Digital Fairness Act,
<SYNC Start=1024800><P Class=ENUSCC>and we can't make it into the<br>Digital Content Directive.
<SYNC Start=1027887><P Class=ENUSCC>If all that happens,<br>then new law is out,
<SYNC Start=1031120><P Class=ENUSCC>which means our only option left<br>is enforcement of existing law.
<SYNC Start=1035533><P Class=ENUSCC>See, the thing that gets forgotten<br>when talking about the Initiative
<SYNC Start=1038720><P Class=ENUSCC>is that it's very likely large<br>portions of the video game industry
<SYNC Start=1042487><P Class=ENUSCC>have already been breaking the law
<SYNC Start=1044400><P Class=ENUSCC>when destroying customer copies<br>of video games for a long time.
<SYNC Start=1048400><P Class=ENUSCC>There's just been<br>no enforcement on it.
<SYNC Start=1050800><P Class=ENUSCC>My theory on what happened<br>is in the United States,
<SYNC Start=1053840><P Class=ENUSCC>the law that allows<br>companies to do this
<SYNC Start=1056000><P Class=ENUSCC>was basically settled<br>back in the '90s.
<SYNC Start=1058800><P Class=ENUSCC>So what I think happened<br>is the rest of the industry
<SYNC Start=1061513><P Class=ENUSCC>kind of copied<br>what the USA was doing,
<SYNC Start=1063927><P Class=ENUSCC>even though in the European Union,
<SYNC Start=1065920><P Class=ENUSCC>the laws that were supposed<br>to protect customers
<SYNC Start=1067934><P Class=ENUSCC>against practices like this<br>never actually went away.
<SYNC Start=1071567><P Class=ENUSCC>I've mentioned before how earlier we<br>got help from members of Parliament
<SYNC Start=1075133><P Class=ENUSCC>to ask the EU Commission questions
<SYNC Start=1077200><P Class=ENUSCC>on how exactly these<br>types of games are governed.
<SYNC Start=1079740><P Class=ENUSCC>And we referred<br>specifically to terms like
<SYNC Start=1082240><P Class=ENUSCC>"can be terminated<br>at any time for any reason"
<SYNC Start=1085280><P Class=ENUSCC>in user license agreements.
<SYNC Start=1087007><P Class=ENUSCC>Well, the Commission itself<br>said that these may be a violation,
<SYNC Start=1091040><P Class=ENUSCC>but need to be handled<br>on a case-by-case basis.
<SYNC Start=1094080><P Class=ENUSCC>Well, if they stick to that,<br>that's unfortunate,
<SYNC Start=1096240><P Class=ENUSCC>because that's going to create<br>more chaos for everyone, really.
<SYNC Start=1099510><P Class=ENUSCC>First, this clause here<br>is not a few isolated cases.
<SYNC Start=1104043><P Class=ENUSCC>I want to say 98% of all games sold
<SYNC Start=1107120><P Class=ENUSCC>that require a connection<br>to the publisher
<SYNC Start=1109200><P Class=ENUSCC>have a clause like this.
<SYNC Start=1110807><P Class=ENUSCC>It might even be 100%, I don't know,
<SYNC Start=1113267><P Class=ENUSCC>but it's almost all of them.
<SYNC Start=1114540><P Class=ENUSCC>Look at any major game where you<br>need to connect to the publisher,
<SYNC Start=1117803><P Class=ENUSCC>and it's going to have<br>some variant of this term.
<SYNC Start=1120440><P Class=ENUSCC>So handling this case by case,<br>country by country
<SYNC Start=1124800><P Class=ENUSCC>is going to flood the courts<br>doing it this way,
<SYNC Start=1127680><P Class=ENUSCC>with different penalties<br>and interpretations for each.
<SYNC Start=1130980><P Class=ENUSCC>But I guess that's something<br>the NGO could help with.
<SYNC Start=1133800><P Class=ENUSCC>The situation on this issue<br>is already in chaos now.
<SYNC Start=1137697><P Class=ENUSCC>This would just send it<br>all into overdrive.
<SYNC Start=1140400><P Class=ENUSCC>At this point in time,
<SYNC Start=1141928><P Class=ENUSCC>no country in the EU
<SYNC Start=1143760><P Class=ENUSCC>has a clear answer<br>on how to handle the situation
<SYNC Start=1146560><P Class=ENUSCC>of a publisher selling you a game,
<SYNC Start=1148877><P Class=ENUSCC>giving you no time frame<br>for how long it lasts,
<SYNC Start=1151680><P Class=ENUSCC>then deliberately disabling it<br>at a later date.
<SYNC Start=1154800><P Class=ENUSCC>Do you know how I know this?
<SYNC Start=1156397><P Class=ENUSCC>Because we already<br>tried to find out.
<SYNC Start=1159120><P Class=ENUSCC>Back in 2024, we had people<br>from countries all around the EU
<SYNC Start=1163200><P Class=ENUSCC>reporting to consumer agencies<br>on the company Ubisoft
<SYNC Start=1166400><P Class=ENUSCC>disabling the game <i>The Crew</i>.
<SYNC Start=1168614><P Class=ENUSCC>Germany, Netherlands, Sweden,<br>Spain, Italy, Croatia…
<SYNC Start=1172367><P Class=ENUSCC>We had volunteers in<br>the majority of EU countries
<SYNC Start=1175837><P Class=ENUSCC>trying to get an answer on this.
<SYNC Start=1177900><P Class=ENUSCC>Now, the EU recommends doing this
<SYNC Start=1179760><P Class=ENUSCC>through the European<br>Consumer Centres Network.
<SYNC Start=1182291><P Class=ENUSCC>So, that's what we did.
<SYNC Start=1184160><P Class=ENUSCC>Or, we tried to.
<SYNC Start=1186026><P Class=ENUSCC>The results were chaos.
<SYNC Start=1187867><P Class=ENUSCC>Most agencies had no idea<br>what we should do.
<SYNC Start=1190943><P Class=ENUSCC>A representative from<br>Germany even said that
<SYNC Start=1193180><P Class=ENUSCC>"There is no clear legal<br>regulation on this."
<SYNC Start=1196707><P Class=ENUSCC>In several cases,
<SYNC Start=1198080><P Class=ENUSCC>we had contradictory answers<br>from the same country.
<SYNC Start=1201280><P Class=ENUSCC>So, if you called in the morning,
<SYNC Start=1203040><P Class=ENUSCC>they might tell you<br>you were entitled to a refund.
<SYNC Start=1205557><P Class=ENUSCC>If you called in the afternoon,
<SYNC Start=1207520><P Class=ENUSCC>they might say that<br>there's nothing they can do.
<SYNC Start=1209920><P Class=ENUSCC>You would have more consistency<br>asking a Magic 8 Ball.
<SYNC Start=1213367><P Class=ENUSCC>Now, we eventually managed<br>to bypass the ECC network
<SYNC Start=1216480><P Class=ENUSCC>since that went nowhere,
<SYNC Start=1218160><P Class=ENUSCC>and got thousands of complaints
<SYNC Start=1219760><P Class=ENUSCC>sent to consumer protection<br>agencies in France and Germany.
<SYNC Start=1223360><P Class=ENUSCC>But that was almost 2 years ago.
<SYNC Start=1225440><P Class=ENUSCC>And they're <i>still</i> trying<br>to figure this out.
<SYNC Start=1228720><P Class=ENUSCC>At the time of this video,
<SYNC Start=1230397><P Class=ENUSCC>no country in the EU<br>knows how to handle this situation.
<SYNC Start=1234240><P Class=ENUSCC>And as a reminder,
<SYNC Start=1235534><P Class=ENUSCC>this problem has been going on<br>for at least 13 years.
<SYNC Start=1239200><P Class=ENUSCC>Well, really the practice<br>began around 2004,
<SYNC Start=1242400><P Class=ENUSCC>but the negligence side<br>started around 2013 at the latest.
<SYNC Start=1246400><P Class=ENUSCC>I mentioned those questions<br>to the EU Commission earlier.
<SYNC Start=1249761><P Class=ENUSCC>Those were asked<br>because neither members
<SYNC Start=1251601><P Class=ENUSCC>of European Parliament<br>that we talked to
<SYNC Start=1253734><P Class=ENUSCC>nor their staff
<SYNC Start=1255034><P Class=ENUSCC>knew the answers to how<br>this practice is regulated.
<SYNC Start=1257700><P Class=ENUSCC>Even though the video game industry<br>is worth hundreds of billions,
<SYNC Start=1261241><P Class=ENUSCC>this rather fundamental<br>issue for customers
<SYNC Start=1264240><P Class=ENUSCC>has managed to slip through<br>the cracks of governments
<SYNC Start=1266468><P Class=ENUSCC>all around the EU.
<SYNC Start=1267767><P Class=ENUSCC>Again, the best way<br>to solve this situation
<SYNC Start=1270093><P Class=ENUSCC>would be to have a clear regulation<br>addressing the problem.
<SYNC Start=1273420><P Class=ENUSCC>But if we can't get that,
<SYNC Start=1275200><P Class=ENUSCC>we have to do it the messy way,
<SYNC Start=1276880><P Class=ENUSCC>through the consumer agencies<br>one by one trying to figure this out
<SYNC Start=1280484><P Class=ENUSCC>and probably through the courts.
<SYNC Start=1282320><P Class=ENUSCC>Now, why is this worse?
<SYNC Start=1284000><P Class=ENUSCC>Well, a few reasons, both for<br>consumers and the industry.
<SYNC Start=1287767><P Class=ENUSCC>First, this is way more<br>bureaucratic overhead.
<SYNC Start=1291360><P Class=ENUSCC>Having dozens of governments<br>across every country
<SYNC Start=1293920><P Class=ENUSCC>trying to interpret<br>what the law says
<SYNC Start=1295920><P Class=ENUSCC>instead of having clear<br>rules from the EU?
<SYNC Start=1298790><P Class=ENUSCC>Case by case is going<br>to be very messy
<SYNC Start=1301600><P Class=ENUSCC>for a practice that's being done<br>across the whole industry.
<SYNC Start=1304877><P Class=ENUSCC>Second, this method<br>is way, way slower.
<SYNC Start=1308404><P Class=ENUSCC>It's already taking years<br>for consumer agencies
<SYNC Start=1311301><P Class=ENUSCC>to process one case.
<SYNC Start=1313440><P Class=ENUSCC>I suspect they'll find Ubisoft<br>guilty of something,
<SYNC Start=1316664><P Class=ENUSCC>especially the DGCCRF,
<SYNC Start=1318880><P Class=ENUSCC>then that may lead to<br>a court case against them,
<SYNC Start=1321440><P Class=ENUSCC>then that will go through appeals,
<SYNC Start=1323200><P Class=ENUSCC>then maybe after that, it goes to<br>the European High Court of Justice.
<SYNC Start=1327347><P Class=ENUSCC>This path moves at a glacial speed.
<SYNC Start=1330660><P Class=ENUSCC>Third, this way is going to be<br>harsher on the industry.
<SYNC Start=1334233><P Class=ENUSCC>See, the Citizens' Initiative<br>talks about customer copies
<SYNC Start=1337280><P Class=ENUSCC>being "reasonably playable,"
<SYNC Start=1339200><P Class=ENUSCC>giving some leeway for how many<br>features need to be intact.
<SYNC Start=1342310><P Class=ENUSCC>The courts could be<br>far less lenient.
<SYNC Start=1345840><P Class=ENUSCC>Also, on that note,
<SYNC Start=1347200><P Class=ENUSCC>the Citizens' Initiative<br>is not retroactive.
<SYNC Start=1350034><P Class=ENUSCC>It can't be under EU law.
<SYNC Start=1352294><P Class=ENUSCC>But courts finding companies<br>guilty of violating law
<SYNC Start=1355440><P Class=ENUSCC>that's already on the books
<SYNC Start=1357440><P Class=ENUSCC>can be enforced as far back<br>as countries want to.
<SYNC Start=1360480><P Class=ENUSCC>So, this path has way more<br>penalties for the industry
<SYNC Start=1363440><P Class=ENUSCC>and is way more disruptive.
<SYNC Start=1365824><P Class=ENUSCC>But, if the possibility of new<br>regulation is truly off the table,
<SYNC Start=1370400><P Class=ENUSCC>then this is all we have left.
<SYNC Start=1372133><P Class=ENUSCC>But don't take my word for it.
<SYNC Start=1374833><P Class=ENUSCC>Law professor<br>Alberto Hidalgo Cerezo,
<SYNC Start=1377881><P Class=ENUSCC>PhD of the University of San Pablo,
<SYNC Start=1380720><P Class=ENUSCC>who has the Madrid Lawyers Bar Award
<SYNC Start=1382720><P Class=ENUSCC>in international and<br>European Union law from 2019
<SYNC Start=1386480><P Class=ENUSCC>has been working on a 500-page<br>legal study on this issue.
<SYNC Start=1390964><P Class=ENUSCC>Alberto actually did his<br>PhD thesis on this subject,
<SYNC Start=1394960><P Class=ENUSCC>was awarded <i>summa cum laude</i>,
<SYNC Start=1397040><P Class=ENUSCC>an Extraordinary<br>Doctorate Award in 2020,
<SYNC Start=1400320><P Class=ENUSCC>with it being published in the<br>number one law editorial in Spain,
<SYNC Start=1404400><P Class=ENUSCC><i>Aranzadi</i> in the collection<br>"Great Treaties."
<SYNC Start=1408237><P Class=ENUSCC>The study is still forthcoming,
<SYNC Start=1410160><P Class=ENUSCC>but I talked to him<br>about the legality
<SYNC Start=1411840><P Class=ENUSCC>of the practice of publishers<br>selling a copy of a game
<SYNC Start=1414880><P Class=ENUSCC>with no time frame,
<SYNC Start=1416480><P Class=ENUSCC>then later deliberately disabling<br>the customer's copy permanently
<SYNC Start=1420320><P Class=ENUSCC>and offering no refunds.
<SYNC Start=1422560><P Class=ENUSCC>According to him, that is unlawful
<SYNC Start=1424720><P Class=ENUSCC>and constitutes at least<br>a breach of objective conformity
<SYNC Start=1428400><P Class=ENUSCC>according to Directive 2019/770.
<SYNC Start=1431367><P Class=ENUSCC>In all honesty, he brought up so<br>many points on why this is unlawful,
<SYNC Start=1435520><P Class=ENUSCC>I got a little lost.
<SYNC Start=1437334><P Class=ENUSCC>But he emphasized that<br>the buying and selling of a contract
<SYNC Start=1440480><P Class=ENUSCC>is a transfer of property,
<SYNC Start=1442240><P Class=ENUSCC>both in the physical<br>and the digital world,
<SYNC Start=1444960><P Class=ENUSCC>and you can't simply say<br>you'll end the contract at any time
<SYNC Start=1447920><P Class=ENUSCC>without permission or cause.
<SYNC Start=1450320><P Class=ENUSCC>He had some good legal quotes<br>pertaining to that, such as
<SYNC Start=1453470><P Class=ENUSCC>"The validity and<br>enforcement of contracts
<SYNC Start=1456034><P Class=ENUSCC>cannot be left to the discretion<br>of one of the contracting parties."
<SYNC Start=1460236><P Class=ENUSCC>Also,
<SYNC Start=1461136><P Class=ENUSCC>"No one may be deprived<br>of their property
<SYNC Start=1463468><P Class=ENUSCC>except by competent authority
<SYNC Start=1465301><P Class=ENUSCC>and for justifiable<br>reasons of public utility,
<SYNC Start=1468169><P Class=ENUSCC>always subject to the<br>corresponding compensation."
<SYNC Start=1471189><P Class=ENUSCC>He also mentioned that this may<br>circumvent Articles 17 and 38
<SYNC Start=1475120><P Class=ENUSCC>of the EU Charter<br>of Fundamental Rights,
<SYNC Start=1477600><P Class=ENUSCC>and that this falls under<br>Articles 4.2.f, 12, 114.3, and 169
<SYNC Start=1484880><P Class=ENUSCC>of the Treaty on the Functioning<br>of the European Union.
<SYNC Start=1488114><P Class=ENUSCC>And that's on top of Directives<br>93/13/EEC and 2019/770
<SYNC Start=1494960><P Class=ENUSCC>that the EU Commission mentioned.
<SYNC Start=1497040><P Class=ENUSCC>He thinks that EU consumer law<br>is among the best in the world
<SYNC Start=1500720><P Class=ENUSCC>and I'm inclined to agree,
<SYNC Start=1502720><P Class=ENUSCC>so we came to the right place<br>to get this problem examined.
<SYNC Start=1506080><P Class=ENUSCC>Now, I'm not doing him justice.
<SYNC Start=1508080><P Class=ENUSCC>For those interested in this part,
<SYNC Start=1509514><P Class=ENUSCC>we plan to have him appear<br>in a video later on,
<SYNC Start=1512080><P Class=ENUSCC>going into detail on this study,
<SYNC Start=1513760><P Class=ENUSCC>so you can hear about<br>it directly from him.
<SYNC Start=1516053><P Class=ENUSCC>More news, that's the EU itself,
<SYNC Start=1518467><P Class=ENUSCC>but in Poland,
<SYNC Start=1519467><P Class=ENUSCC>we've been in touch with<br>the Polish government,
<SYNC Start=1521360><P Class=ENUSCC>and they've been very supportive,
<SYNC Start=1522960><P Class=ENUSCC>along with the major<br>opposition party in Poland.
<SYNC Start=1525840><P Class=ENUSCC>So, there's support across<br>party lines on this issue there.
<SYNC Start=1529680><P Class=ENUSCC>I mentioned the ongoing consumer<br>action in Germany and France,
<SYNC Start=1533040><P Class=ENUSCC>though in France especially,
<SYNC Start=1534800><P Class=ENUSCC>all news I've received
<SYNC Start=1535968><P Class=ENUSCC>suggests we're going to get as fair<br>a hearing as possible on this issue
<SYNC Start=1539520><P Class=ENUSCC>by the DGCCRF.
<SYNC Start=1541521><P Class=ENUSCC>We can't ask for more than that.
<SYNC Start=1543680><P Class=ENUSCC>And hey,
<SYNC Start=1544400><P Class=ENUSCC>maybe that NGO can help activate<br>more countries on this, we'll see.
<SYNC Start=1548320><P Class=ENUSCC>We're building momentum.
<SYNC Start=1549867><P Class=ENUSCC>When it comes to the issue<br>of game destruction,
<SYNC Start=1552247><P Class=ENUSCC>all signs point to<br>the video game industry
<SYNC Start=1554560><P Class=ENUSCC>breaking the law on<br>a massive scale in Europe.
<SYNC Start=1557440><P Class=ENUSCC>There just hasn't been<br>any enforcement on it.
<SYNC Start=1559840><P Class=ENUSCC>I think we'll change that.
<SYNC Start=1561560><P Class=ENUSCC>…eventually.
<SYNC Start=1563100><P Class=ENUSCC>Again, we'd <i>prefer</i> to just<br>work out a sensible new law
<SYNC Start=1566480><P Class=ENUSCC>to make this as easy as<br>possible on everyone.
<SYNC Start=1569040><P Class=ENUSCC>That's why we use the terminology
<SYNC Start=1570701><P Class=ENUSCC>"reasonably playable"<br>in the Initiative,
<SYNC Start=1573300><P Class=ENUSCC>similar to the<br>Right to Repair Directive
<SYNC Start=1575367><P Class=ENUSCC>talking about a "reasonable price"<br>or a "reasonable time."
<SYNC Start=1579520><P Class=ENUSCC>We want games to be<br>"reasonably playable."
<SYNC Start=1582440><P Class=ENUSCC>Now, that has some interpretation,
<SYNC Start=1584320><P Class=ENUSCC>but deliberately disabling<br>every customer copy of a game
<SYNC Start=1587840><P Class=ENUSCC>is not "reasonably playable."
<SYNC Start=1590160><P Class=ENUSCC>But what that phrase means
<SYNC Start=1591440><P Class=ENUSCC>is we're leaving maximum<br>flexibility to the industry
<SYNC Start=1594400><P Class=ENUSCC>for how they achieve this,
<SYNC Start=1595760><P Class=ENUSCC>and are open to any solution<br>that solves the problem.
<SYNC Start=1599760><P Class=ENUSCC>But we do want to solve the problem.
<SYNC Start=1601594><P Class=ENUSCC>We are sticklers for that part.
<SYNC Start=1604200><P Class=ENUSCC>Now, I've been asked to point out<br>in the statement lobby group
<SYNC Start=1606768><P Class=ENUSCC>Video Games Europe made on us,
<SYNC Start=1608967><P Class=ENUSCC>they said they're looking forward<br>to discuss their position
<SYNC Start=1611300><P Class=ENUSCC>with policy makers,
<SYNC Start=1612567><P Class=ENUSCC>which they no doubt have,
<SYNC Start=1614560><P Class=ENUSCC>and those who have led the<br>European Citizens' Initiative
<SYNC Start=1617047><P Class=ENUSCC>in the coming months.
<SYNC Start=1618374><P Class=ENUSCC>Well, that was seven months ago,
<SYNC Start=1620233><P Class=ENUSCC>and we still have not heard<br>one word from them.
<SYNC Start=1622960><P Class=ENUSCC>They're welcome to contact us,
<SYNC Start=1624480><P Class=ENUSCC>and in fact, the movement<br>is preparing meetings in the future
<SYNC Start=1627167><P Class=ENUSCC>to make it even easier.
<SYNC Start=1629040><P Class=ENUSCC>They're invited<br>for public discussions.
<SYNC Start=1631733><P Class=ENUSCC>Anyway, that's the news for the EU.
<SYNC Start=1634140><P Class=ENUSCC>Elsewhere, I didn't really<br>cover it at the time,
<SYNC Start=1637033><P Class=ENUSCC>but our government<br>petition in the UK
<SYNC Start=1638934><P Class=ENUSCC>did get brought before Parliament,
<SYNC Start=1640800><P Class=ENUSCC>and it was declined.
<SYNC Start=1642240><P Class=ENUSCC>But that wasn't a huge surprise,
<SYNC Start=1644240><P Class=ENUSCC>the UK was always<br>more of a long shot.
<SYNC Start=1646320><P Class=ENUSCC>It simply doesn't have<br>the same consumer protection laws
<SYNC Start=1648800><P Class=ENUSCC>that the EU does.
<SYNC Start=1650267><P Class=ENUSCC>That said, there actually<br>may be another angle
<SYNC Start=1653120><P Class=ENUSCC>to get protections<br>in the UK later on
<SYNC Start=1655440><P Class=ENUSCC>that I'm not at liberty<br>to talk about yet,
<SYNC Start=1658080><P Class=ENUSCC>but that one's really iffy,<br>even more of a long shot,
<SYNC Start=1661077><P Class=ENUSCC>so don't count on that.
<SYNC Start=1662880><P Class=ENUSCC>For our intents and purposes,<br>the UK is probably cooked.
<SYNC Start=1666577><P Class=ENUSCC>Probably.
<SYNC Start=1667967><P Class=ENUSCC>Outside of Europe,
<SYNC Start=1669207><P Class=ENUSCC>in 2024, we submitted complaints to<br>the ACCC on <i>The Crew</i> in Australia,
<SYNC Start=1674560><P Class=ENUSCC>and a law firm stated that it had<br>been escalated internally there,
<SYNC Start=1678160><P Class=ENUSCC>and they are still<br>making their decision,
<SYNC Start=1680390><P Class=ENUSCC>like Germany and France.
<SYNC Start=1682880><P Class=ENUSCC>So, there's just more<br>waiting to do there.
<SYNC Start=1685393><P Class=ENUSCC>And ironically,
<SYNC Start=1686468><P Class=ENUSCC>it blows my mind that the USA<br>is currently in the lead
<SYNC Start=1690400><P Class=ENUSCC>for things happening<br>first on this issue.
<SYNC Start=1693004><P Class=ENUSCC>But I still have a lot of skepticism<br>on how that turns out.
<SYNC Start=1697333><P Class=ENUSCC>The takeaway from all this
<SYNC Start=1698560><P Class=ENUSCC>is while I hope we have a favorable<br>answer from the Commission
<SYNC Start=1701280><P Class=ENUSCC>and can really start<br>solving the problem,
<SYNC Start=1703660><P Class=ENUSCC>don't be discouraged
<SYNC Start=1704701><P Class=ENUSCC>if there's nothing to celebrate<br>from the meeting.
<SYNC Start=1707137><P Class=ENUSCC>We're working around it<br>just in case.
<SYNC Start=1710160><P Class=ENUSCC>We are coming at this issue so hard.
<SYNC Start=1713120><P Class=ENUSCC>When you consider the NGOs,<br>the consumer agencies,
<SYNC Start=1716557><P Class=ENUSCC>possible court action,<br>the Initiative,
<SYNC Start=1719200><P Class=ENUSCC>working with Parliament,<br>legal studies,
<SYNC Start=1721600><P Class=ENUSCC>hell, even the US bills,
<SYNC Start=1723686><P Class=ENUSCC>but most of all,
<SYNC Start=1724700><P Class=ENUSCC>EU law is already<br>on our side on this.
<SYNC Start=1728320><P Class=ENUSCC>We're going to find a way<br>to make this work.
<SYNC Start=1730210><P Class=ENUSCC>Your guess is as good<br>as mine which one,
<SYNC Start=1733360><P Class=ENUSCC>and there's actually even<br>a couple <i>more</i> things going on
<SYNC Start=1736394><P Class=ENUSCC>I can't talk about yet
<SYNC Start=1738160><P Class=ENUSCC>that could be a path<br>to victory also.
<SYNC Start=1740710><P Class=ENUSCC>Now, as much as I don't like<br>how this campaign
<SYNC Start=1743134><P Class=ENUSCC>keeps derailing my life,
<SYNC Start=1745440><P Class=ENUSCC>I'm really happy we're getting<br>lots of competent help now
<SYNC Start=1748480><P Class=ENUSCC>that can hopefully take this over<br>entirely at some point.
<SYNC Start=1751920><P Class=ENUSCC>At the beginning of the campaign,
<SYNC Start=1753631><P Class=ENUSCC>I said this is all<br>an amateur effort.
<SYNC Start=1756427><P Class=ENUSCC>That's becoming less<br>and less true now.
<SYNC Start=1759040><P Class=ENUSCC>We're getting more and more<br>of the help we need.
<SYNC Start=1761867><P Class=ENUSCC>All right, that's it.
<SYNC Start=1763360><P Class=ENUSCC>We'll see how things<br>go with the Commission.
<SYNC Start=1765336><P Class=ENUSCC><font color="#ffff00"><i>[Subtitles by Erasmus Magnus]</i></font>
</BODY>
</SAMI>

 

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