https://wccftech.com/digital-content-sellers-like-amazon-apple-at-risk-of-french-court-ruling/

In a momentous ruling that may have profound implications for digital content companies throughout the globe, a French court has delivered a judgement on the prohibition imposed by Valve that prevented legitimately purchased games on Steam from being resold. The ruling states that digitally purchased games should be treated in the same manner that physical video game CDs are treated, thereby, providing the legal space for their resale.

The case was brought by UFC-Que Choisir – a French consumer rights association – against Valve – the owner of digital games distribution platform Steam – more than 3 years ago. On 17th September, the Paris District Court annulled a number of clauses that Valve had imposed on the digital games purchased from Steam including one that prevented a resale of such games. The court invoked the principle of exhaustion of right whereby once a work has been sold with the author’s authorization, the author no longer has control over subsequent resales. This allows the second-hand market to flourish as individual owners do not need to seek the prior agreement of the author to sell a particular property. However, now the court has extended the application of this principle to legally acquired de-materialized content such as digital games and, by extension, digitally purchased books, movies, etc.