this post was submitted on 21 Jun 2025
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The second-hand videogame market will always exist, even if the license when you bought the game doesn't give you explicit permission to sell your copy. This probably isn't going to change any time soon either
With physical games the disc or cartridge acts as your license key, which they allow you to sell to another person. Doesn’t mean they couldn’t have sold you a non-transferable license, it only means they chose not to. Probably because it wouldn’t be cost-effective to do so.
Also, just because you can do something doesn’t make it legal.
With books and older non-unique registration code games it is explicitly legal to sell them second, third, etc hand.
At least in the EU and UK where those overly restrictive licenses you bring up have been declared ineffective. Maybe in the US it's just another personal freedom sacrificed for freedom of capital.
Sure, sell. But there are still limitations. You aren’t allow to rent it out or sell copies, for example.
Just because the license is a bit more permissive doesn’t make you the owner, it’s still licensed software, not owned software.
The only thing you own is the 2 cents worth of plastic the disc is made off. The actual content on the disc is licensed.