Rep. Ritchie Torres Introduces Legislation to Ensure Gamers Own Their Digital Games

Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres is introducing legislation that aims to ensure you own your digital games, rather than merely buying a license that gives you permission to play them.

The bill, known as The Power to the Players Act, would direct the Fedral Trade Commission (FTC) to establish regulations that would protect gamers and their digital libraries. In short, Torres wants to ensure that when you buy a digital game, you actually own it, as opposed to getting a license that can be revoked. Additionally, the bill would require online games to have offline functionality, so that when servers are shut down, the content can still be played by those who own the game.

“Consumers must have the right to own, the right to play, and the right to transfer the games they buy,” Torres said in a press release. “A game that can be taken away the moment a company pulls the plug is not a purchase. …