Bill Full Text
Home
-
Bills
-
Bill
-
Authors
-
Dates
-
Locations
-
Analyses
-
Organizations
<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<ns0:MeasureDoc xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:ns0="http://lc.ca.gov/legalservices/schemas/caml.1#" xmlns:ns3="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" version="1.0" xsi:schemaLocation="http://lc.ca.gov/legalservices/schemas/caml.1# xca.1.xsd">
<ns0:Description>
<ns0:Id>20250AB__192197AMD</ns0:Id>
<ns0:VersionNum>97</ns0:VersionNum>
<ns0:History>
<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-12</ns0:ActionDate>
</ns0:Action>
<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-03-19</ns0:ActionDate>
</ns0:Action>
<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-04-06</ns0:ActionDate>
</ns0:Action>
</ns0:History>
<ns0:LegislativeInfo>
<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
<ns0:SessionNum>0</ns0:SessionNum>
<ns0:MeasureType>AB</ns0:MeasureType>
<ns0:MeasureNum>1921</ns0:MeasureNum>
<ns0:MeasureState>AMD</ns0:MeasureState>
</ns0:LegislativeInfo>
<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Ward</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:Authors>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Ward</ns0:Name>
</ns0:Legislator>
</ns0:Authors>
<ns0:Title>An act to add Chapter 6.8 (commencing with Section 20660) to Division 8 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to business. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>business</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>Digital games: ordinary use.</ns0:Subject>
</ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:DigestText>
<html:p>Existing law requires every videogame retailer to post a sign, within the retail establishment in a prominent area, providing information to consumers about a videogame rating system or notifying consumers that a rating system is available to aid in the selection of a game, and to make available to consumers, upon request, information that explains the videogame rating system.</html:p>
<html:p>Existing law, subject to certain exceptions, prohibits a seller of a digital good, including a digital application or game, from advertising or offering for sale a digital good to a purchaser with the terms “buy,” “purchase,” or any other term which a reasonable person would understand to confer an unrestricted ownership interest in the digital good, or alongside an option for a
time-limited rental, unless the seller receives at the time of each transaction an affirmative acknowledgment from the purchaser, or the seller provides to the consumer before executing each transaction a clear and conspicuous statement, as specified. Existing law defines “digital application or game” to mean any application or game that a person accesses and manipulates using a specialized electronic gaming device, computer, mobile device, tablet, or other device with a display screen, including any add-ons or additional content for that application or game.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill, with regard to
digital games
available for purchase on or after January 1, 2027, and subject to certain exceptions, would require a digital game operator to communicate specified information to purchasers and prospective purchasers of a digital game 60 days before the operator ceases to provide services necessary for the ordinary use of the game, and, beginning on the date an operator ceases to provide services necessary for the ordinary use of the game, require the operator to provide the purchaser with an alternate version of, a patch or update to, or a refund for, the game, as provided, and prohibit the operator from selling, leasing, or otherwise distributing
a version of the game that cannot be used by a purchaser independent of services controlled by the operator. The bill would authorize the Attorney General or a district attorney to bring a civil action for a violation of these provisions.</html:p>
</ns0:DigestText>
<ns0:DigestKey>
<ns0:VoteRequired>MAJORITY</ns0:VoteRequired>
<ns0:Appropriation>NO</ns0:Appropriation>
<ns0:FiscalCommittee>YES</ns0:FiscalCommittee>
<ns0:LocalProgram>NO</ns0:LocalProgram>
</ns0:DigestKey>
<ns0:MeasureIndicators>
<ns0:ImmediateEffect>NO</ns0:ImmediateEffect>
<ns0:ImmediateEffectFlags>
<ns0:Urgency>NO</ns0:Urgency>
<ns0:TaxLevy>NO</ns0:TaxLevy>
<ns0:Election>NO</ns0:Election>
<ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>NO</ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>
<ns0:BudgetBill>NO</ns0:BudgetBill>
<ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>NO</ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>
</ns0:ImmediateEffectFlags>
</ns0:MeasureIndicators>
</ns0:Description>
<ns0:Bill id="bill">
<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
<ns0:BillSection id="id_4FC31229-B872-4F86-9BB6-C83E65C59351">
<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:ActionLine action="IS_ADDED" ns3:href="urn:caml:codes:BPC:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'DIVISION'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'8.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'CHAPTER'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'6.8.'%5D)" ns3:label="fractionType: LAW_SPREAD||commencingWith: 20660" ns3:type="locator">
Chapter 6.8 (commencing with Section 20660) is added to Division 8 of the
<ns0:DocName>Business and Professions Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
</ns0:ActionLine>
<ns0:Fragment>
<ns0:LawHeading id="id_0F7BECEA-3463-431F-BF62-2DCF2CA59E9A" type="CHAPTER">
<ns0:Num>6.8.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawHeadingVersion id="id_6BC8BE2C-3D86-4DCF-9E6D-16FE88F6E1F7">
<ns0:LawHeadingText>Protect Our Games Act</ns0:LawHeadingText>
</ns0:LawHeadingVersion>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_D66ABB16-03AB-41AE-8CE4-6588C5176E79">
<ns0:Num>20660.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_350F99CA-19E0-43EF-8526-7F70D47AEBD7">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>This chapter shall be known, and maybe cited, as the Protect Our Games Act.</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
</ns0:LawSection>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_B3247C06-E8AF-4D4A-971D-1FBDECF82E5D">
<ns0:Num>20662.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_71B8445D-723C-4AFB-8DAC-078CE4999776">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Digital game” means any game that a person accesses and manipulates using a specialized electronic gaming device, computer, mobile device, tablet, or other device with a display screen, including any add-ons or additional content for that game.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Digital game operator” means a publisher, developer, or other person or entity that controls whether a purchaser of a digital game can make ordinary use of the digital game, including, but not limited to, controlling authentication systems, server access, digital rights management, or required software updates.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Digital game operator” does not include a person or entity that provides general-purpose hosting, cloud computing, storage, network services, or an online platform or marketplace for the distribution of a digital game, but that does
not control whether a purchaser may make ordinary use of the digital game.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Ordinary use” means a purchaser’s ability to use the core features of a digital game, consistent with the reasonable expectations of a purchaser based on how the digital game was advertised, marketed, or otherwise described by the digital game operator at the time of purchase.
</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
</ns0:LawSection>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_4BD5C1F9-2983-4886-939E-E26EC78296CB">
<ns0:Num>20664.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_9ABC0111-607E-4321-BBC3-96DE0C70A037">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The following shall apply only to a digital game available for purchase on or after January 1, 2027:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
(A)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
60 days before a digital game operator ceases to provide services necessary for the ordinary use of the digital game, the operator shall communicate all of the following information to purchasers and prospective purchasers of the digital game:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(i)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The date on which services necessary for the ordinary use of the digital game will cease.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(ii)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Any services that will no longer be provided by the operator.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(iii)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Any game
features that will no longer be available to the purchaser.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(iv)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Any known security risks that may result from the cessation of services.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(v)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
How the purchaser can continue to use the digital game, or obtain a refund, pursuant to paragraph (2).
</html:p>
<html:p>
(B)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A digital game operator shall communicate the information required by subparagraph (A) by doing both of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(i)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Notifying purchasers directly through the operator’s digital game.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(ii)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Posting the information publicly on the operator’s internet website.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Beginning on the date a digital game operator ceases to provide services necessary for the ordinary use of the
digital game, the operator shall provide the purchaser with one or more of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(A)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A version of the digital game that can be used by the purchaser independent of services controlled by the operator.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(B)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A patch or update to the purchaser’s version of the digital game that enables its continued use independent of services controlled by the operator.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(C)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A refund in an amount equal to the full purchase price paid for the digital game by the purchaser.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Beginning on the date a digital game operator ceases to provide services necessary for the ordinary use of the digital game, the operator shall not sell, lease, or otherwise distribute a version of the game that cannot be used by a purchaser independent of services controlled by the
operator.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
This section does not apply to any of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Any subscription-based service that advertises or offers for sale access to any digital game solely for the duration of the subscription.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Any digital game that is advertised or offered to a person for no monetary consideration.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Any digital game that is advertised or offered to a person that the seller cannot revoke access to after the transaction, which includes making the digital game available at the time of purchase for permanent offline download to an external storage source to be used without a connection to the internet.
</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
</ns0:LawSection>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_15153407-A01D-4569-8296-CAEF5C54849C">
<ns0:Num>20668.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_14FF54CD-0605-43B1-B363-35C2C76AA96D">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>Actions for relief pursuant to this chapter may be prosecuted exclusively in a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action brought in the name of the people of the State of California by the Attorney General or by any district attorney.</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
</ns0:LawSection>
</ns0:LawHeading>
</ns0:Fragment>
</ns0:BillSection>
</ns0:Bill>
</ns0:MeasureDoc>