Posted March 21, 2016
Ok, let's say you own(?) the game (license), e.g. you bought the Steam version, or a friend of yours sold you his game (license) and gave you the installer.
You might argue that you now legally own a license for the game, but that doesn't automatically grant you the rights to use GOG/Galaxy service for that particular game, unless you have bought the GOG version from GOG.com.
Ownership of the game license is an agreement between you and the game publisher, while the service agreement in GOG/Galaxy is between you and GOG.com (or its parent company). GOG.com has no legal obligation to provide you the service part for a game, if you have not bought that game through them. Unlike software licenses, service agreements are normally not transferable, unless specifically allowed by the service provider.
That service part, which you are not eligible to unless you have bought the GOG version through the GOG store, includes also the ability to download updates for the game through your GOG account, or use Galaxy to play the multiplayer part of the game.
It is a similar case that even though I have a retail CD version of Thief Gold (ie. I had valid license to use the game), that didn't make me eligible to download the GOG version from GOG-servers, and get updates to it through my GOG account. No, I actually had to buy the game again from GOG, in order to get that extra service (and the GOG version of the game). Only then I was eligible for the services offered by GOG for that particular game.
Is this ok now? Don't confuse the game license and the service offered by e.g. GOG.com, they are not the same thing. You get both at the same time if you buy the game from GOG.com (or someone buys you a legit gift code for the GOG version, and you redeem that code in GOG.com), though.
You might argue that you now legally own a license for the game, but that doesn't automatically grant you the rights to use GOG/Galaxy service for that particular game, unless you have bought the GOG version from GOG.com.
Ownership of the game license is an agreement between you and the game publisher, while the service agreement in GOG/Galaxy is between you and GOG.com (or its parent company). GOG.com has no legal obligation to provide you the service part for a game, if you have not bought that game through them. Unlike software licenses, service agreements are normally not transferable, unless specifically allowed by the service provider.
That service part, which you are not eligible to unless you have bought the GOG version through the GOG store, includes also the ability to download updates for the game through your GOG account, or use Galaxy to play the multiplayer part of the game.
It is a similar case that even though I have a retail CD version of Thief Gold (ie. I had valid license to use the game), that didn't make me eligible to download the GOG version from GOG-servers, and get updates to it through my GOG account. No, I actually had to buy the game again from GOG, in order to get that extra service (and the GOG version of the game). Only then I was eligible for the services offered by GOG for that particular game.
Is this ok now? Don't confuse the game license and the service offered by e.g. GOG.com, they are not the same thing. You get both at the same time if you buy the game from GOG.com (or someone buys you a legit gift code for the GOG version, and you redeem that code in GOG.com), though.
Post edited March 21, 2016 by timppu
