Editing Valve Corporation (section)

=== ''ACCC v. Valve Corporation'' ===
The [[Australian Competition & Consumer Commission]] (ACCC) announced it was taking action against Valve in 2014. On March 29, 2016, Valve was found guilty of breaching Australian consumer law because:<ref>{{cite news |last=Wilkins |first=Georgia |url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/online-games-giant-valve-found-to-have-breached-australian-consumer-law-20160329-gnt2wd.html |title=Online games giant Valve found to have breached Australian consumer law |work=[[Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=March 29, 2016 |access-date=December 3, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913134130/http://www.smh.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/online-games-giant-valve-found-to-have-breached-australian-consumer-law-20160329-gnt2wd.html |archive-date=September 13, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Pearce |first=Rohan |url=http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/596867/accc-chalks-up-court-win-against-valve-software-guarantee-case/ |title=ACCC chalks up court win against Valve Software |website=[[Computerworld]] |publisher=[[International Data Corporation]] |date=March 29, 2016 |access-date=December 3, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223020623/http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/596867/accc-chalks-up-court-win-against-valve-software-guarantee-case/ |archive-date=December 23, 2016}}</ref>
* Valve claimed consumers were not entitled to a refund for digitally downloaded games purchased from Valve via the Steam website or Steam Client (in any circumstances);
* Valve had excluded statutory guarantees and/or warranties that goods would be of acceptable quality; and
* Valve had restricted or modified statutory guarantees and/or warranties of acceptable quality.

During the prosecution of this case, Valve implemented a refund policy for Steam purchases, but the case still reviewed Valve's actions prior to the onset of the lawsuit. The court overseeing the case sided with the ACCC in assigning a {{AUD|3&nbsp;million|link=yes}} (about {{USD|2.1&nbsp;million}}) fine against Valve in December 2016, as well as requiring Valve to inform Australian consumers of their rights when purchasing games from Steam.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/australian-court-fines-valve-3-million-over-refund-pol-1790435837 |title=Australian Court Fines Valve $2.1 Million Over Refund Policy |first=Alex |last=Walker |date=December 23, 2016 |access-date=December 25, 2016 |work=[[Kotaku]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224142156/http://kotaku.com/australian-court-fines-valve-3-million-over-refund-pol-1790435837 |archive-date=December 24, 2016}}</ref> Valve appealed the court's determination that it "engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct and made false or misleading representations about consumer guarantees", as well as seeking to appeal the fine, but the Australian higher courts rejected the appeals in December 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/valve-accc-lawsuit |title=Australian courts say Valve must pay a $3 million fine for "misleading" consumers |first=Ali |last=Jones |date=December 22, 2017 |access-date=December 27, 2017 |work=[[PCGamesN]] |archive-date=December 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228000324/https://www.pcgamesn.com/valve-accc-lawsuit |url-status=live }}</ref> In January 2018, Valve filed for a "special leave" of the court's decision, appealing to the [[High Court of Australia]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ordered-to-pay-3-million-fine-valve-files-another-/1100-6456267/ |title=Ordered To Pay $3 Million Fine, Valve Files Another Appeal In Australia |first=Eddie |last=Makuch |date=January 22, 2018 |access-date=January 22, 2018 |work=[[GameSpot]] |archive-date=January 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180123031353/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ordered-to-pay-3-million-fine-valve-files-another-/1100-6456267/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The High Court dismissed this claim in April 2018, asserting that Valve still was liable under Australian law since it sold products directly to its citizens.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/valve-loses-appeal-for-3-million-fine-in-australia/1100-6458378/ |title=Valve Loses Appeal For $3 Million Fine In Australia |first=Eddie |last=Makuch |date=April 19, 2018 |access-date=April 19, 2018 |work=[[GameSpot]] |archive-date=April 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180420054346/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/valve-loses-appeal-for-3-million-fine-in-australia/1100-6458378/ |url-status=live }}</ref>