Not to be that guy, but DMCA isn't legal in EU. Did you mean copyright infrigment take down request?

They still can use their product. The German manual is only part of the product, not a separate store / library entry.

If GOG decided to remove the entire Jagged Alliance 2 entry from someone's library for no reason, this could be considered as a contract break. But game itself hasn't gone away, right? GOG just updated the product (which doesn't contradict the ninth paragraph of the EULA) and cut out content that has some legal issues. The same situation as with the soundtrack in some games (GTA series, for example).

I'm on GOG side for this one.

But they surely must warn us before removing something.

You are wrong. The moment they included the manual on the gamecard they made it part of the purchased product.
They did NOT change the product they removed part of it completely.
You could say that the buyers decision depended on some of those "goodies". If I advertize a certain product with additional stuff then the buyer is deciding based on that information. It does not matter if there is a financial value for the freebie in question - this is about the principle to not take something away AFTER it has been sold.

Why don't you tell me where it is stated that GOG is allowed to remove stuff fom the user after they sold it?

Yes - people accepting everything because it's not worth to fight for your rights ... and that is why DRM Steam has now the biggest market share ....

I understand why you are upset and you are right that you got shafted in this situation (presuming you are a purchaser of this game on GOG and a user of the manual).

But...what would you rather GOG have done?

Are you saying they should have illegally kept the manual on the site, even to the point where they get sued into oblivion until GOG no longer exists at all?

Would that have been better than removing the manual?

GOG's choice to comply with the DMCA was the best & only reasonable choice which they had in this situation. It's unfortunate for the customers who got shafted in this situation, but that misfortune still doesn't mean it's an issue that is worth GOG falling on it's sword over.

Like I said I don't not even own the game or the manual. This is a fight about principles - nothing more but also nothing less.

So if GOG in fact never owned the right to sell a certain product it is their fault for not doing their homework. The user who is buying here should be perfectly safe that he is acting legally. If they don't own any rights for something they make part of the package they sell they probably should not include it in the first place.

If GOG die in fact own the legal rights t5hen now law could force them to remove stuff from the users library and it does not matter if we are talking about the game or certain extras they advertized the game with.

Completely agreed with this statement.

C'mon Marko, my good Komrade, old games almost always in legal troubles.
Who knows what changed in all this years ? We don't know the whole situation - maybe it was fine to distribute german manual for years, but than something is changed or some old contract passed out or something.
If removing such a small thing as manual is the only way to keep GOG away from legal suits - I'm on with that.

They didn't advertise the German manual as a freebie. It was also not a main part of the product purchased. They changed the overall product. But even still the license as a whole is completely revocable.

GOG User agreement:
Section 2, subsection 2.1
"...We can stop or suspend this licence in some situations, which are explained later on."
Section 8, subsection 8.2
"...Your right to use any Virtual Goods is limited to a limited, nonexclusive, non-assignable, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, revocable licence to use them solely for your personal entertainment and non-commercial use in the applicable GOG content. You have no property interest or right or title in any Virtual Goods, which remains the appropriate publisher’s property. Virtual Goods may be changed, amended or reversed if necessary, including to enforce this Agreement. If necessary, limits may be placed on the use of Virtual Goods (including transaction limits and balance amounts)."

Aren't those fileable by anyone? So if random bad faith actors started filing requests would gog take a whole bunch of things down?

Also why does GOG(polish company) have to comply with a US law on this?

(To all: Not trying to make waves, btw....I am just a bit worried/confused and genuinely curious)

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Well technically one could use the packing materials in private, non-commercial ways like displaying them on their shelves/etc or even burning them for fuel if need be or turning the disc into a coaster(I am not suggesting doing the latter, as a game collector myself, but it could be done if one paid for that copy).

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Patches should never remove content for nearly any reason....to me it'd be akin to buying a car then finding out the mirrors were illegally shaped and they had to take them back(1st example that came to mind...apologies if it's a poor one).

We surely need more blues comments in this thread.

Seems like it's a good thing that I periodically backup my library...

The problem is the ip holders seem to have GOG "by the balls" with many aspects of their IPs.....I remember when first signing up how GOG has a much higher advantage over it's partners....that seemingly has only decreased a bit more and more over time.

These transactions should be reflected in Changelog on game's card in library.

As per things like soundtracks.....GOG/etc should never remove such things.....manuals and such at most, if they absolutely MUST....else it will likely drive some people to pirate old versions/other versions over time to get back what they paid for and lost(same as other things like DRM led some to pirate).

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GOG could've taken it down from new user's being able to buy it(i.e. delisted it) and hen fought it in court with all that CDP/CDPR money they get.....there are ways to fight DMCA requests that don't require a ton of money, iirc.

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And GOG's legal/etc position with it's partners will only get weaker if they let any person with a DMCA request push them over.....GOG eventually needs to make a stand on something, ANYTHING, else it will likely be not much more than a laughingstock in the eyes of many rights holders. (YT video with sound: video linked at best point and should be watched till the end, but the whole thing is good and applies to this sort of situation, imo

As Picard said: We[GOG and users] have made too many compromises....made too many retreats...a line needs to be drawn)