Pixel Press

  If Buying Isn’t Owning Games, Then Piracy Isn’t Stealing Introduction Digital games today are often not “owned” by players—they’re licensed. This has prompted a provocative chain of logic: if “buying” a game only grants you a license, not true ownership, then stealing it via piracy is not taking someone’s property. In this post, I explore that argument, bring in recent commentary from game developers and—even somewhat unusually—a perspective tied to farmers via farming‑simulation games, and assess whether piracy can reasonably be described as “not stealing." 1. The License vs. Ownership Debate 1.1 What do you actually “buy”? Recent legal and consumer‑rights activity has confirmed the truth: in most cases—even products described as “bought”—you’re only purchasing a license to access a game. In California, a law (effective January 1, 2025) now requires digital storefronts (Steam, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, eShop etc.) to clearly state that consumers are buying a license, not o...