I'd like to clear up an important point...
Quote: "You can't bitch about the developer preventing you from doing it, when you've never been allowed to"
That is factually incorrect. You've always been able to do that with consumer software, regardless of what's in the EULA. EULA's are subservient to the existing legal framework in virtually all countries.
This means that while vendors are allowed to place certain restraints on your use and redistribution of the software they many not infringe on your statutory rights, which most western countries (i.e. in Europe and North America) includes your right to resell an item (and that does not just mean the media, but the licence that accompanies it too).
Valve do have the right to restrict access to their service, but that is quite a different matter. Equally, you have the same right to take them to court if you feel you have been treated unfairly and are due compensation. If it's transpires they are abusing their position by taking payment for goods and then revoking access to the service unduly then they will become open to prosecution by the state - the US federal government in this instance (just as they would be in any European country I would add).
It is entirely incorrect to assert you do not have the 'right' to resell consumer software. You have as much right to re-sell is as you do any item of hardware, a book, or a DVD (which of course is actually software I should not need to add). This is true whether you are reselling hardware (in the case of a computer with a pre-installed operating system license from a vendor like Dell, Gateway, Apple or Sun) or on it's own.
This topic was debated and settled before a significant segment of Blues News readers were even born, no need to drag it up again.
This comment was edited on Dec 24, 06:00.