Is the XBOX DRM illegal in NZ?

Forums › Gaming › Is the XBOX DRM illegal in NZ?

1 | 2

macuser

2120 posts

Uber Geek

#833366 10-Jun-2013 09:14

1080p:
macuser: I feel as though the rental games will still be a thing, as a rental dvd has a different header than a regular dvd, so can be detected as different. The games will probably do that too?

This is not the case.

In the US the retail and rental disks seem to be different as. Walmart's disk to digital service will detect whether the DVD inserted is a retail or rental DVD/blu-ray before allowing you access to a retail only digital version.

toyonut

1508 posts

Uber Geek

#833368 10-Jun-2013 09:18

I would say that it is just more of the same thing that already goes here. Someone else mentioned Steam already, but if you purchase through them, you cannot sell the game unless you sell your whole account.
Most shops that sell software have sign that say software is non refundable due to piracy, so maybe there is an understanding that rules that apply to whiteware, hardware, etc do not apply to software.

Try Vultr using this link and get us both some credit:

http://www.vultr.com/?ref=7033587-3B

Skolink

1081 posts

Uber Geek

#833443 10-Jun-2013 11:16

Last year the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that software vendors could not prohibit the resale of used games. However Steam seems to have got around it legally, and of course prevent it technically. I assume in Europe Microsoft will also be legally able to prevent (technically) the sale of second-hand games.
So where there is a direct ruling permitting the resale of used games, software vendors still prevent it, so I can't imagine that they will be legally forced to enable used game sales here in New Zealand where we have no such ruling.

NonprayingMantis

6434 posts

Uber Geek

#833477 10-Jun-2013 12:03

Skolink: Last year the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that software vendors could not prohibit the resale of used games. However Steam seems to have got around it legally, and of course prevent it technically. I assume in Europe Microsoft will also be legally able to prevent (technically) the sale of second-hand games.
So where there is a direct ruling permitting the resale of used games, software vendors still prevent it, so I can't imagine that they will be legally forced to enable used game sales here in New Zealand where we have no such ruling.

actually I think the ruling was about B2B programs, but in theory it would apply to games too.

like you say though, there is a difference between being unable to legally stop someone from onselling your product (i.e. through a contract that tells them they are not allowed to), and technically stop someone from onselling your product (via some kind of DRM, self destructing discs, online passes at extra costs or some such)

Even if it is ruled that companies cannot contractually stop people from onselling their products, they cant do anything about companies making it technically impossible to onsell their products by desgining the product in such a way that it is not practical to onsell.

xspader

11 posts

Geek

#833565 10-Jun-2013 13:55

If this is an online rental of games, which I think is a great idea if companies lke Video Ezy can sell codes or cards for the rentals so they dont lose out, then this opens up the next logical discussion of ISP data caps and will they adjust them to match user requirements. I'm on an open cap so it doesnt bother me, but this type of model will cause issues for some people, as will the potential slowness of the downloads, as currently the PlayStation store isnt the fastest place I've ever downloaded contect from

1 | 2