Steam users are accused of paying too much for games. A digital rights activist intends to fight this with a class action lawsuit
Valve is allegedly violating competition law in the UK and offering games to users of the Steam platform at inflated prices. At least that’s what Vicki Shotbolt, an activist for the digital rights of children, is claiming and is suing Valve in collaboration with the law firm Milberg London LLP.
The claims amount to656 million pounds(776.5 million euros). If successful, the plaintiffs expect to receive between 26 and 52 euros in compensation per affected person.
Suit against Valve
So far there are no official documents relating to the lawsuit, but Shotbolt explains on its websitein detail what the allegations are based on.There it says:
“We believe that Valve Corporation is violating competition law by imposing price restrictions on games sold on Steam, restricting players’ ability to purchase additional content through other platforms, and charging an excessive commission for games published on Steam, resulting in excessive prices for consumers. “
What arguments are used to support the claims?Three specific points are mentioned that serve as the basis for the lawsuit:
- Price Parity Obligation Clauses:Valve should contractually prevent publishers and developers from offering their games on other platforms at lower prices.
- Tying:Valve should ensure that additional content for games must also be purchased on Steam, thereby restricting competition.
- Excessive prices:Since Valve demands up to 30 percent commission from publishers and developers, this should lead to increased prices for users on Steam.
How is Valve responding? So far there has been no official statement from the company, which is not facing such a lawsuit for the first time.
In 2018, for example, Valve lost alawsuit in Australia. At the time, the consumer protection organization sued and won due to what it saw as Steam’s inadequate return policy.
It remains to be seen whether the current case from the UK will actually be heard. However, the Milberg law firm has already been successful in a similar case.
