Border Patrol
Following investigations by the European Commission, a selection of publishers has been hit with a combined fine of € 7.8 million (or approximately $ 9.4 million USD) following allegations of geo-blocking.
In an official Commission ruling, it was decided that Capcom, Bandai Namco, ZeniMax, Koch Media, Focus Home Interactive and Steam owner Valve had violated antitrust laws by applying Steam activation keys for more than 100 titles between the years 2010 and 2015. The titles in issue were rendered inoperable outside the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, in contradiction with the Commission’s “internal market” policy.
“These commercial practices denied European consumers the benefits of the EU’s digital single market of shopping between Member States to find the most suitable offer,” said the Commission’s official findings. “The Commission has concluded that the illegal practices of Valve and the five publishers have partitioned the EEA market in violation of EU antitrust rules.”
The fines per publisher are adjusted to the cooperation of each company. Most of the listed publishers saw a reduction in their sentences. Valve – which reportedly declined to cooperate with the investigation – was ultimately fined € 1.6 million (approximately $ 2.9 million USD). Valve has since stated to Eurogamer that the did cooperates with the Commission and intends to appeal the decision. Focus Home Interactive received the heaviest fine, weighing as much as € 2.8 million (about $ 3.4 million USD) with a reduction.
“More than 50% of all Europeans play video games,” said Margrethe Vestager, Executive Director of the European Commission. “The video game industry in Europe is thriving and now worth more than € 17 billion. Today’s sanctions against the geo-blocking practices of Valve and five PC video game publishers are a reminder that companies are banned under EU competition law. of contractually restricting cross-border sales. Such practices deprive European consumers of the benefits of the EU’s digital single market and the ability to shop around for the most appropriate offer in the EU. “
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