Episode 163: The Complexities of EULAs

Phil Salvador interviews Amy Thomas, legal expert and author of Copyright, Contract, and Video Games: Terms of Play, about the evolving landscape of digital rights and ownership in gaming. In this episode, Amy discusses her journey from studying Microsoft's Xbox One EULA in 2013; the complexities of EULAs, user rights, and the impact of digital ownership on game preservation; her research on possibly the earliest EULA, found in 1985 for Pitfall II; and the challenges of digital preservation, including implications of Sony's recent decision to discontinue physical PlayStation discs. Mentioned in the show: Tandy Software License: https://colorcomputerarchive.com/repo/Documents/Manuals/Games/Pitfall%20II%20(Tandy).pdfMoria License: https://free-moria.sourceforge.net/moria-non-free-license.txt You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website. See more from Amy Thomas:LinkedIn: /amy-thomasThe Centre for Regulation of the Creative Economy, University of Glasgow: create.ac.ukUpcoming speaking engagement: Playable Heritage: Creating a Collaborative Framework for Collecting Video Game Culture Video Game History Foundation:Email: podcast@gamehistory.orgWebsite: gamehistory.orgSupport us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg