French Court Tells Steam To Allow Used Game Sales

How would you like to sell your used Steam games someday, just as you do with the disc versions of games you own? Fat chance of that happening in the United States, but it appears the European Union has a shot, thanks to a ruling that came down from a French court this week.

The High Court of Paris, according to Polygon, ruled Tuesday that consumers who reside in the E.U. should be able to purchase and then sell their digital Steam games in much the same manner they do physical copies. Such an allowance would bring Valve's Steam platform into compliance with European Union laws created to protect "the free movement of goods within the Union." And really, it would restore a little bit of control back to consumers, who have been hoodwinked in recent years into purchasing "licenses" rather than full copies of their digital products.

The defense put up by Valve is perhaps the most laughable bit of this, as the company tried to pass off the Steam storefront as a "subscription service." It was a ridiculous tactic that the court reportedly saw through, and now Steam has a three-month window to make things right, which it can undoubtedly stall by fighting the ruling in another court.

And of course, Valve is going to do just that.

"We disagree with the decision of the Paris Court of First Instance and will appeal it," Valve said in a statement. "The decision will have no effect on Steam while the case is on appeal."

We can't say for certain if Valve will ultimately win or lose this fight, but it's fun to imagine a world where we might someday be allowed to sell our digital games. Just think about all of those Steam sale purchases you regret, or those games you didn't like that you've been stuck with. You could at least recoup some of the costs, and maybe clean up your library a bit. Wouldn't that be great? Wouldn't it?

We'll keep an eye on how this case progresses and let you know if anything changes.