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General discussionUpcoming update to GOG.com policies(465 posts)(465 posts)
(465 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted February 04, 2015
Just received an email from gog:
These legal agreements will come into legal force after 30 days, on March 6th, 2015.
Posted February 04, 2015
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misato: I also don't like what I am reading about the new move to a non DRM policy now also.
I'll confess that I haven't read much of this (somewhat long) thread; what change is this that you're referring to? I would have thought that I'd see rather more outcry if there was some move away from being DRM-free...

(Unless you're referring to the "reverse-engineering" issue that came up a little while ago; if so, then I really don't think that it qualifies as moving away from being DRM-free in any significant manner. Indeed, a look at that new User Agreement suggests that the issue has been largely dealt with: games are under their own EULAs, and GOG stuff may not be reverse engineered, etc.--unless they, the agreement, or the laws of your country give you permission. They also note that one may ask for permission to do so, and mention planned open protocols to obviate reverse engineering.)

As to the new agreements, I've only skimmed over the "English" versions thus far, but overall I really like what I see: these agreements seem very consumer-friendly to my eye, at least as represented in their "English" versions. That said, I'm somewhat tired today, so I don't intend to read the "legalese" versions just yet, although I've looked at a few paragraphs here and there. Additionally, and for the same reason, I could easily be missing something in the "English" versions.

Presuming that I haven't missed anything: thank you, you guys at GOG, for continuing to run so considerate and consumer-friendly a service. It's appreciated. ^_^
Posted February 04, 2015
Wow, that "English" translation on the right is awesome! As always I'm blown away by how awesome GOG is, and I am SOOOOO thankful someone is doing this. The rest of the industry has gone nutso pretty much, with all the DRM and activation and whatnot, and I still feel like GOG is single handedly trying to save it.
Post edited February 04, 2015 by Wolf3
Posted February 04, 2015
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Wolf3: Wow, that "English" translation on the right is awesome! As always I'm blown away by how awesome GOG is, and I am SOOOOO thankful someone is doing this. The rest of the industry has gone nutso pretty much, and I still feel like GOG is single handedly trying to save it.myriad
Thanks for the positive words! I personally think the changes are for the better and clearer as well :)

I haven't yet had time to catch up with the goings-on in this thread since the last time I stopped by, but I'll be following it closer now in case of questions :)
Posted February 04, 2015
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GOG.com: Hi all,

In the coming weeks we plan on introducing a rewritten version of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy. We promised to be even more open and direct with you - our community - about what we are doing and why, so in advance we’re giving you a heads-up and a chance to comment on these changes.

Why are we making any changes at all? There are two key reasons:
1. To address all the new stuff announced / introduced in the recent months, such as new content (Movies), features (in-store credit) or services (Galaxy), all of which ought to be addressed from the legal standpoint. At the same time our current Terms of Use, and especially Privacy Policy, are very old and were due for a refresh for quite some time;
2. To make our legal documents as understandable as humanly (or should we rather say legally ;) possible, That’s why on top of making the legally binding part as user-friendly as we could, we have also prepared a short summary of all the points on the right side of them (that’s for the lazy ones ;).

New User Agreement: <span class="bold">GOG_User_Agreement_EN.pdf</span>
New Privacy Policy: <span class="bold">GOG_Privacy_Policy_EN.pdf</span>

We understand, that you might have some comments and questions, so do not hesitate to post them in this thread by Sunday, November 30th, 11:59 PM GMT. We do hope, that your feedback will allow us to make these documents even better and more understandable.
Please note, that we will not able to answer your question in real-time - we will gather them, analyse and come back to you with a set of answers and comments.

Cheers,
The GOG.com Team

PS: For all the fans of conspiracy theories - we have no hidden agenda so fear not and ask away instead :)
"if we can’t we will offer Store Credit
out of our own pocket
for any difference between what you pay and the
US price."

If you really are pro-fair price, it's kinda weird that you use that aformented quote as some kind of "hey, we really do care"...

Don't get me wrong though, i mean: Selling DRM-free games without the need to use a "client" (Steam, Origin) 90% of the time to play a game? In 2015? Unheard of (except for you guys)!
Posted February 04, 2015

If you can see this text it means that your email client couldn't display our newsletter properly.
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Elbart: Please start sending your mails with plain-text-versions, too.
HTML-mails are a security-nightmare.
Yes, in principle you are right. HTML-Mails are a security nightmare.
But with the right Mail-Client e.g. Thunderbird you have full control over HTML-Mails.

BTW: HTML-Mails from GOG are harmless :)
Posted February 04, 2015
About fixes in the paragraph 9 (or non fixes), see here:
https://www.gog.com/forum/general/please_fix_your_user_agreement_to_allow_reverse_engineering_and_tinkering_when_its_fair_use_to_ret/post195
Posted February 04, 2015
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shmerl: About fixes in the paragraph 9 (or non fixes), see here:
https://www.gog.com/forum/general/please_fix_your_user_agreement_to_allow_reverse_engineering_and_tinkering_when_its_fair_use_to_ret/post195
Thanks, gog, for the update! I have the feeling paragraph 9 has significant improved.

But one question about this sentence from 9.b: "We also ask that you make only genuine attempts to improve the GOG content. " I think this is too vague and therefore potentially restrictive. Is not every change of content non-"Genuine" and then forbidden by this clause? I have the feeling this line contradicts the changes on the sentence before. Maybe this line should be exchanged against a clause for "attribution" and authorship of changed content? This is what I guess you was wanting to achieve? Preventing authorship and authenticity of works questions?
Posted February 04, 2015

I'll confess that I haven't read much of this (somewhat long) thread; what change is this that you're referring to? I would have thought that I'd see rather more outcry if there was some move away from being DRM-free...

Haven't read the legaleeze yet. I am just going by what I have read from some positing in this thread already. DRM is GOG's main selling point, so I too, would think that GOG would realize a lot of people from their early beginings (i've been on GOG since their days of games that were good and old, just like their slogan says, and were either only $2.99 or $4.99. Period!) would ditch them in a heartbeat if they went DRM any way what so ever, so what u say makes since, but you never know. All of us are going to just have to wait and see how this plays out.

At this point I'm more concerned about their new privacy policy than the DRM. I can always ditch GOG if the decide to go DRM, but I can't exactly take back all my information from companies GOG decides to hand my information out to, after they have already obtained it.

You already know that GOG probably already gives and / or sells your email address to third parties. Everybody that gets your email address does that. That's how come you can never give your address to one company without getting spam back from 100 other companies a week later.

I am just going to have to figure out if this new change to their privacy policy now includes other malevolent ways of getting even more of your information, such as hacking into your system, malware, spyware, recording your IP address for distribution, keystroke recording, etc, etc.
Post edited February 04, 2015 by misato
Posted February 04, 2015
high rated
Do my credits have an expiration date?
Unfortunately store credit cannot be valid indefinitely, and will expire after one year.
every subsequent addition to your balance extends the expiration date for your entire balance to one year from that moment.
.. what?

Clearly it can be valid indefinitely (by "refreshing" it just before it expires), so make it valid indefinitely.

If that means giving everyone with store credit 1 cent the day before it expires on their account, do that. Don't just steal people's digital assets! Unless you are fine with everyone stealing yours in return.

Seriously GOG, you are now firmly in the "sliding downhill on your ass" position. You're now stooping to taking away something people have paid for just because they haven't used it in a year?
Posted February 04, 2015
I'd wondered about that myself. Why must store credit expire? I guess it's something of an accounting burden and it's something of an accumulation of "potential debt" or something, but those seem like easily overcome problems.
Posted February 04, 2015
"section 9.1 (g)
Don't do or say anything which is or may be considered ... xenophobic ...."
Doesn't this conflict with just about all space based games?
Posted February 04, 2015
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GOG.com: Hi all,

In the coming weeks we plan on introducing a rewritten version of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy. We promised to be even more open and direct with you - our community - about what we are doing and why, so in advance we’re giving you a heads-up and a chance to comment on these changes.

(snip)

PS: For all the fans of conspiracy theories - we have no hidden agenda so fear not and ask away instead :)
Didn't see anything about binding arbitration or giving away my rights to legal recourse.

If I can still sue the hell out of you if you screw me over, I'm totally fine with this.

(Note, I do not expect to ever want to sue you, nor do I expect GOG to ever screw me over... just sayin'.)
Posted February 04, 2015
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shaddim: But one question about this sentence from 9.b: "We also ask that you make only genuine attempts to improve the GOG content. " I think this is too vague and therefore potentially restrictive. Is not every change of content non-"Genuine" and then forbidden by this clause?
No, "Genuine attempt", means a "real attempt" is you prefer it's a way to say "in good faith".

It means that if you reverse engineer the protocol whatever to create a new installer, add new features, etc... it can be considered are a "genuine attempt" to improve GoG content.

But if you reverse engineer the protocol to create a tool to cheat on multiplayer games, obtain games without paying them, gain access to some users account information, etc... then it's not a "genuine attempt" to improve GoG content.
Posted February 04, 2015
[INFORMATION WITH-HELD] ? ?

Just to be clear, there is missing information in the agreements.
Post edited February 04, 2015 by Ihear_BlueColors
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionUpcoming update to GOG.com policies(465 posts)(465 posts)
(465 posts)