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‘Digital ownership must be respected’: UK parliament debates Stop Killing Games campaign, but government doesn’t budge
(www.videogameschronicle.com)
this post was submitted on 04 Nov 2025
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So if the developers of a game go bankrupt, or a single developer of an indie game dies, what do you suggest happens?
usually in bankruptcy the game gets sold in order to help pay debts… whoever buys the game assumes the responsibility of contributing to run the online services, or provide options for others to… in the case that nobody buys the game (im not entirely sure what happens to the IP in that case) but it’s relatively minimal effort to release server source code or documentation OR even just remove the online parts that’s usually just for DRM which is now pretty irrelevant because you’re shutting it down anyway so why would anyone care if someone pirates it?!
None of that is "relatively minimal effort" other than releasing the source code, which is not something that should ever be mandated.
mandatory minimum warranties are also not relatively minimal effort and yet we have laws that require those… most consumer protection standards aren’t minimal effort: that doesn’t mean we don’t make laws to ensure consumers get what they are expecting when they hand over money
why shouldn’t handing over source code to a game that’s being shut down (and apparently that nobody finds any value in since it wasn’t even bought in bankruptcy auction) be mandated as a last resort?
Because then you’d have big companies going around actively trying to bankrupt other smaller companies to get their source code released, so they could then use it for themselves.
It’s nothing like product warranties either.
The code should go into escrow when the first game is sold. This is standard practice in industry - you don't buy something without assurance that if the company goes under you have options.
Which industries is this standard in? I can't think of any. If Samsung went bankrupt who is replacing your S25 Ultra?
I think they mean in like B2B. Like if you buy of piece of software x thousand times with y years of support it's standard practice to have a contract that covers what happens if the company goes under while you still have years of support.
Maybe, but that’s not at all relevant here.
Consumer devices are not industry. they almost never get that treatment.
But the assurance you spoke about is consumer assurance? So you’re saying that your suggestion wouldn’t even apply to video games while suggesting it for video games?
There is no reason consumers cannot demand this even though they haven't. There is no reason the law cannot demand it even though it hasn't.
The important part is that the idea exists and is common enough in OTHER situations. When you ask for it there will be people who know what this means and there is a whole industry of "we escrow your code for you" that can handle the details. If you make a new law you have plenty of examples to look at and so are much less likely to accidentally create some unintended consequence that is worse than the current situation.
Which industries take companies source code and hold it hostage in case the company goes bankrupt? Which software?
My supply managemet reys know that, I just know they talk about it is a routine thing and the suppliers salesmen act like it is normal. I'm not in those conversations often but I've heard them.