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# Congressman Proposes Right to Own, Not License, Video Games
- URL: https://adjacent.media/signals/congressman-proposes-right-to-own-not-license-video-games/
- Published: 2026-10-17T22:12:59.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-17T22:12:59.000Z
- Description: Rep. Ritchie Torres’s bill directly challenges the legal fiction that has allowed publishers like EA and Activision to revoke access to purchased games through terms-of-service updates or server shutdowns.
- Author: Jonathan Greene
- Tags: #signal, theme-culture, media regulation, digital rights, entertainment policy

Source: [Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2026/10/us-rep-proposes-bill-to-give-video-game-buyers-ownership-not-a-license/?ref=adjacent.media)

Rep. Ritchie Torres's bill directly challenges the legal fiction that has allowed publishers like EA and Activision to revoke access to purchased games through terms-of-service updates or server shutdowns. Players currently have no recourse once a publisher decides a game is no longer profitable to maintain. The proposal imposes property rights onto digital media, mirroring similar efforts in the EU and potentially forcing American publishers to choose between allowing permanent ownership or facing regulatory friction in the U.S. market. The economic asymmetry is real: players believe they own games, but publishers legally own the relationship. That gap has grown untenable as live-service titles, licensing agreements, and digital-only distribution have made "ownership" meaningless within a decade of purchase.