Business Insider Australia reports Valve has lost its legal appeal over the
$3 million AUD fine they were hit with in
late
2016 over Steam's refund policies. Here's the summary:
The Federal
Court found in the ACCC’s favour in March 2016, fining the company $3 million in
December of that year.
The Court found Steam’s terms and conditions, and refund policies, included
false or misleading representations about consumers’ rights to obtain a refund
for games if they were not of acceptable quality.
Justice Edelman was scathing in his judgment, saying “Valve’s culture of
compliance was, and is, very poor” and its evidence “disturbing”.
Valve “formed a view …that it was not subject to Australian law… and with the
view that even if advice had been obtained that Valve was required to comply
with the Australian law the advice might have been ignored” and also “contested
liability on almost every imaginable point”.
In December last year, the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia
dismissed Valve Corporation’s appeal against a ruling.
Valve had sought special leave to appeal that decision in the High Court, which
today dismissed that application.
The High Court decision means the original fine stands.