Now, when purchasing games on Steam, the store will immediately warn players that they are buying a license, not the game itself. The corresponding note appears in the shopping cart during the checkout process. This was reported by Engadget.
These changes are Steam's preliminary response to a new law that will come into effect in California in 2025. Under this law, companies are required to recognize that buyers will not actually own the products they purchase, but will only license them.
Companies that do not comply with the new requirements may be fined for false advertising. These changes apply to all digital markets, not just game stores. Users must be warned that digital copies of music, movies, shows, and other products are licensed, not owned.
This law was passed after Ubisoft shut down the servers of The Crew and removed it from players' libraries.