Photo Credit: Tim Eulitz
Valve Corporation has for decades been operating Steam without the required UK public performance license – at least according to a new lawsuit from PRS for Music.
PRS formally announced the complaint, technically filed closer to March’s beginning, today. As some know, Bellevue, Washington-headquartered Valve is the company behind (among other things) Steam, the largest digital distribution platform, in both users and titles, for PC video games.
Of course, a portion of these games feature protected music – a fact that allegedly compels Valve to obtain a PRS license for “communicating these [PRS member] works to the public.” And while it probably doesn’t need saying in light of the action, the gaming giant has allegedly failed to do so.
The way the plaintiff tells the story, this alleged licensing failure isn’t the result of a lapsed agreement; 30-year-old “Valve has never obtained a” PRS license for 23-year-old Steam, per the filing party.
(According to its website and prior announcements, PRS has digital-storefront licensing pacts in place with Sony Interactive Entertainment as well as Microsoft Gaming.)
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