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From: Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action
Subject: Re: Steam Backs Down From Forced Arbitration
Date: Sun, 29 Sep 2024 19:31:42 -0700
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On 9/29/2024 1:38 AM, JAB wrote:
> On 28/09/2024 15:35, Ross Ridge wrote:
>> JAB  <noway@nochance.com> wrote:
>>> In the UK my understanding is that arbitration courts exist* but they
>>> can only be used for a civil offences if both parties agree including
>>> who will be the arbitrator.
>>
>> It the same in the US and other countries.  In this case, both parties,
>> Valve and the Steam user, agreed to use a certain arbitration service to
>> resolve any disputes.  That happened when the user agreed to the Steam
>> Subscriber Agreement.
>>
> 
> In the UK you just can't do that in general as the principle is you 
> can't sign away your rights just because the shop says so regardless of 
> what you sign/agree to. There has to be a law in place that specially 
> says you can sign away an individual right and even then it still has to 
> met the criteria of could someone reasonable expect it. So no, burying 
> it in ten pages of texts just doesn't work.

Well, Europe (including the UK) isn't as tightly in the grip of the 
Mega-Corps as the US is.

-- 
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky 
dirty old man.