The
European Commission announces €7.8 million (USD$9.4 million) in fines for
Valve and PC game publishers Bandai Namco, Capcom, Focus Home Interactive, Koch
Media, and ZeniMax for breaching EU antitrust rules by geo-blocking the sale of
games in the territory. Word is Valve's fine was highest because they refused to
cooperate with the commission. The EC estimates the European game market is
worth over €17 billion (USD$20.5 billion), so the over €1.6 million (USD$1.9
million) they fined Valve does not sound like it would cause them to change how
they operate. Here's word:
The European Commission has fined Valve, owner
of the online PC gaming platform “Steam”, and the five publishers Bandai Namco,
Capcom, Focus Home, Koch Media and ZeniMax € 7.8 million for breaching EU
antitrust rules.
Valve and the publishers restricted cross-border sales of certain PC video games
on the basis of the geographical location of users within the European Economic
Area (‘EEA'), entering into, the so called “geo-blocking” practices. The fines
for the publishers, totalling over €6 million, were reduced due to the
companies' cooperation with the Commission. Valve chose not to cooperate with
the Commission and was fined over €1.6 million.
Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy,
said: “More than 50% of all Europeans play video games. The videogame industry
in Europe is thriving and it is now worth over € 17 billion. Today's sanctions
against the “geo-blocking” practices of Valve and five PC video game publishers
serve as a reminder that under EU competition law, companies are prohibited from
contractually restricting cross-border sales. Such practices deprive European
consumers of the benefits of the EU Digital Single Market and of the opportunity
to shop around for the most suitable offer in the EU”.