In response to the email sent out by GOG with regards to their updated privacy policy, I have sent GOG the following request. I would encourage others to read the full changes to the privacy policy (which were certainly not covered with any sort of rigor in GOG's email) and take their own actions as they see fit. Regardless of your feelings on Valve/Steam, this addition to GOG's own policies represents a significant shift in terms of what they are bringing forth onto users who may find themselves now under this agreement.

Below is my email:

Is there any way I can ensure that none of my information, games, data, or other such stuff is in any way connected or shared with Valve/Steam, so that I never have to, as stated in the new GOG policy, "There are some legal rules that Valve requires us to follow regarding this," "Our optional GOG Connect service is subject to Valve legal rules—please follow them." In particular, I absolutely refuse to agree to section II of the privacy policy: "(II) IN NO EVENT WILL VALVE OR ANY SUPPLIER BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF, BASED ON, OR RESULTING FROM ITS API TERMS OF USE OR YOUR USE OF STEAM WEB API, STEAM DATA, OR VALVE BRAND & LINKS, EVEN IF SUCH PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THE EXCLUSION OF DAMAGES UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH IS INDEPENDENT OF YOUR EXCLUSIVE REMEDY AND SURVIVES IN THE EVENT SUCH REMEDY FAILS OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE OR IS OTHERWISE DEEMED UNENFORCEABLE. THESE LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY WITHOUT REGARD TO WHETHER THE DAMAGES ARISE FROM (A) BREACH OF CONTRACT, (B) BREACH OF WARRANTY, (C) NEGLIGENCE, OR (D) ANY OTHER CAUSE OF ACTION, TO THE EXTENT SUCH EXCLUSION AND LIMITATIONS ARE NOT PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ANY PART OF THE ABOVE, OR YOU HAVE ANY DISPUTE OR CLAIM AGAINST VALVE OR ITS SUPPLIERS WITH RESPECT TO THE ABOVE, THEN YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY IS TO DISCONTINUE USING THE STEAM WEB API, STEAM DATA, AND VALVE BRAND & LINKS."

I want absolutely nothing to do with this, under no circumstances do I agree to it, and if there is no way to avoid it, I will be closing my account here after saving all of the games that I purchased here prior to GOG being infested with Valve's Steam virus.

Thank you.

Right, like I'm going to read that whole fucking thing! :P

I don't believe there's any reason to worry if you don't use the Connect feature. In other words, if you don't have a Steam account, there's nothing to worry about. If you do have one, well, you've already agreed to these terms (or very similar).

Today is a good day in the sense that this feature has become available.

Today is not a good day in the sense that tons of people with room temperature IQ are spamming the forum.

I'm assuming that was sarcasm?
Because, yes, people not reading things that they agree to is a big problem.

Unfortunately have a steam account (which i havent added to for around 6 months. hell havent even bothered to open the client for ages too).No plans to use the connect feature at all. Status quo as far as im concerned :D Yeah wall of text = skip to next comment for me :D And here i thought it was more like severe herpes....

Why do I get the feeling he insist on using a similar contract even when he buys socks? :P

Oh fuck, he's taking it into other threads. And people call me a troll! XD

You thought I wrote that or something?

That's part of GOG's new privacy policy which you are agreeing to if you use GOG Connect.

Let's face it:
Is there ever? I mean, you can sign all the agreements and contracts that you want, but whenever buying ANYTHING, you never have any assurance that data about you isn't being shared. If it happened, how would you know about it? All you have is their word.
It's like giving your server your credit card at a restaurant. You have no idea whether they've installed a skimmer of some sort or are writing down the numbers/taking pictures of the card for later.
Everything requires trust, whether we realize it or not.

I promise you. PROMISE. That he didn't understand what he read.

Optional service, uhhh so don't use it, end of problem.

It is normal to find those kinds of disclosure agreements in corporative contracts, as those are just fancy words :P

Most Incoterms contracts include "X may not be responsible for: Y, Z, ANY act of god" ... Like, how to classify what is an act of god? Hahahaha.

If the time comes and someone goes into a trial under that contract, usually, will won the party with the smartest lawyer who explains the best why his reality is perceived to be the true.

To be honest, will be interesting how this whole matter evolves...

I just want to ensure that, as long as one does not install this Trojan horse of a program, one can continue to use GOG without being subjected to that nonsense.



We're not talking about "Acts of God" wording here - which I am well acquainted with, having worked in various positions with contracts with those types of wording, and needing to enforce them.

This isn't "Acts of God," though.
This is "IN NO EVENT WILL VALVE OR ANY SUPPLIER BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES"

So: "In no event" + "Any"

It basically says that if harm comes to you by using their API, it's not their fault.

Now if they were selling food and said that, I'd worry.

An API, however, is more like a phone number. What they are saying is that if you shove crayons up your nose while calling them, it's not their fault. Or if you call them from a country where phones are illegal, it's not their fault.

But the OP is obviously computer illiterate and prefers tin foil hats to actual understanding of security.