VIdeo games are a global thing, but there’s some things that slip through the cracks when you talk about making video games for the world. For example, there are laws that need to be abided by and upheld when you try and sell a game in their country. This is why very few non-Chinese made video games make it to China, because there is a law restricting that. There are also laws in terms of sales, advertisements and refunds. And Valve has been fighting a battle because it broke one of those laws.
Back in 2014, a bunch of Australian gamers tried to get a refund for games on Steam they felt were faulty. However, Valve wouldn’t give it to them because at the time, their Refund System wasn’t in place (that came in 2015). So, the gamers, and Australia itself, sued Valve for breaking their laws, specifically, the Australian Consumer Law, which states that consumers are entitled to a refund if done within a certain amount of time like the gamers did.
The argument was whether Steam was “operating” in Australia (and thus bound by their laws) or whether it was working out of the US (which Valve argued it was) because of where the service was “stationed”. The Australian courts though determined that because their service was available in their country, regardless of where “home base” was, they had to follow their laws, and so the company was fined $3 million dollars.
Valve immediately appealed, but now a judge has dismissed the appeal. And the presiding judge had this to say on the matter:
“This important precedent confirms the ACCC’s view that overseas-based companies selling to Australian consumers must abide by our laws,” said ACCC Commissioner Sarah Court. “If customers buy a product online that is faulty, they are entitled to the same right to a repair, replacement or refund as if they’d walked in to a store.”
It’s unknown how much time Valve will have to pay the fine.
