I don’t really understand this, but that’s exactly what it seems like.
Comment on Valve Sued By The Performing Rights Society Over Music Rights in Games Valve Doesn’t Make or Own
Regrettable_incident@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Isn’t this kind of like suing blockbuster over music in the films they rent? Seems a bit daft, but there must be a reason they think it might succeed.
SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 weeks ago
stoly@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
If they win, they set a precedent and then start suing everyone. If they lose, they don’t lose much.
bilb@lemmy.ml 3 weeks ago
From what I’ve read elsewhere, precedent is already set. Other game storefronts providers, including Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, do make such payments to PRS. Valve is the odd one. I’d love it if someone here could confirm or deny this.
chortle_tortle@mander.xyz 3 weeks ago
There is also the question of it that was set by court precedent, or settling. I would assume that settling doesn’t effect precedent.
stoly@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Correct.
partofthevoice@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
It seems similar to the idea that you could sue Google for copyright infringement because it serves a website that infringes copyright. Like… valve just serves the content, right? The act of infringement wasn’t committed by them, it was committed by the game developers. Am I mistaken?
qaeta@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
From what I understand, the music was used under licence by the game developers. The plaintiffs want Steam to also pay them for a licence to offer the game, which is already legally using the music, on their store, which is absurd.
partofthevoice@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
Interesting, but I can see how this might play into their favor too. If the developers license to the music doesn’t cover resale/relicense, and maybe they’re arguing that the music (by extension of the game) was licensed to Valve in a manner that isn’t covered by the original license?
But you still wouldn’t sue Valve over that, would you? You’d sue the developers for damages due to breach of contract?
uid0gid0@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
If the games are using the music in violation of copyright and valve acquired it and is selling it, the distribution rights part of copyright law allows the copyright owner to sue anyone in the supply chain.
Once you purchase a legally distributed work, you are protected by the first sale doctrine, which allows you to do pretty much whatever you want with your single copy.