I bought a disc version TBOUT2 a few months ago from Amazon UK and found a license number pasted inside. I thought it was just a disc i.e. load and play but I went through the set up and everything worked fine.

I've since found that there’s an explosion of license number’s for sale online with and presumably without a disc, some seem genuine and some are not and some are accepted by Steam only for the users account to be later withdrawn.
It’s all becoming a bit chaotic, no one can blame the buyer looking for the best price available but that’s becoming like shopping around in a jungle.

Germany took this license thing to the European Court of Justice who ruled in favour of the consumer on the grounds that once bought the goods become the sole property of the buyer.
I heard that Valve an English based company, is now banned in Germany.

Isn’t it all becoming totally confusing?

I have read of a couple of different scenarios regarding Germany and Steam. One was that some group in Germany was censoring games and only allowing versions they deemed "acceptable" to be purchased with a license in Germany. A LOT of people are upset about that.

The other thing I've read is what you mention concerning the ability of people who purchased games from Steam to be able to resell their licenses as they saw fit. The EU ruled that they DO have this right and Steam is not abiding by this ruling - gee, imagine that.

I don't think they are banned yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if it came to that.

Cari, that ruling was turned down a year ago.

German Court Rules against right to resell Steam Games

Ana

I missed that one... good to know.

Yes it’s very confusing; the European Court of Justice is the top court in the EU whereas the individual courts of the member countries are duty bound to abide to their rulings. But then I’m no legal eagle.

I don’t think that Steam is banned as they don’t come under EU rules but Valve does, it’s a UK firm of publishers.

I would love to see that 80% of the money I pay for a game would go to the people who have made the game, I think we all would but we know that’s never going to happen. The license is obviously a loophole devised to prevent the resale of games and that has advantages for the distributor and the producers but clashes head on to the rights of the purchaser. Imagine buying your car under the same conditions? Not as stupid as it sounds.

Incidentally I have never resold a game; I give them for resale to a charity.