Bought some second hand games that say Product Key Already Activated - how to fix?

[electronicanaria]

Hi guys
I often pick up old games at the local car boot sale here in sunny Gran Canaria. A car boot sale may be called a flea market where you live, but you get the idea.. I get games for 1 or 2 euros and I am quite a fan of retro gaming. Some of the games I can activate the product on Steam and it often adds even more games to my library. However some say 'The code has already been activated by a different Steam Account and can not be reused' It says contact the retailer or online seller for advice but obviously that does not apply a I bought them at the flea market so there is no retailer, it's a private sale. So what do I do with these games? Obviously I do physically own the originals now so I do own the games. I did do a quick google just to be sure that is the case and it says under EU law these second hand games can be legally sold to me by the seller, and in buying them the purchaser does acquire the rights to play them.

This is what I googled

As with digital games, whenever you purchased a boxed product game, you were also granted a licence to access the copy of the game you purchased. However, unlike with digital games, you also actually acquired ownership of something tangible, namely the disc onto which the copy of the game was pressed. This, together with the application of a legal doctrine known as the "exhaustion of rights" principle (EOR Principle), meant that you were able to freely sell on any boxed product game you purchased as you saw fit and in so doing, transfer your licence to access the game itself to the purchaser.

The exhaustion of rights principle

The EOR Principle is reflected in two pieces of European legislation: the Information Society Directive (which applies to all copyrightable works) and the Software Directive (which applies specifically to software and computer programs).

Each of these Directives provides that the owner of the copyright in a work has the exclusive right to authorise or prohibit the distribution of that work. If, however, a copy of that copyrighted work is sold within the EU with the copyright owner's permission in exchange for the payment of a fee, the copyright owner's right to authorise or prohibit any further sales of that copy of the work within the EU is exhausted

So the law clearly says I own the rights to access the games. Why can't I activate the product with the key number?

[Edifier]

Used PC games died with the invention of CD keys which was like a good 20 ish years ago.

I saw it die out in a year or so before people completely stopped doing it.

Not sure why anyone would try it in this day of age with the massive focus on gaming clients that attach your game to it.

[MancSoulja]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από Edifier:

Used PC games died with the invention of CD keys which was like a good 20 ish years ago.

I saw it die out in a year or so before people completely stopped doing it.

Not sure why anyone would try it in this day of age with the massive focus on gaming clients that attach your game to it.

It wont be long before the EU force Steam and other digital platforms to allow customers to directly trade back games for store credit.

[Crazy Tiger]

You are misinterpreting the EU directives, OP. Keys are one-time use and that's completely within the directives.

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από electronicanaria:

Yeah. When I says 'some of my old games' I mean some that I bought years ago. Probably best part of 20 years ago in some cases, But hey are all physical games i own.

Thanks for the help though I am understanding it better now. Battlefield 1942 did say invalid key as did one or two others i just tried.

I went through my old games, the vast majority don't have activation keys. The ones that do say key is not valid (Splinter Cell, Far Cry 2, Crysis Warhead, Halo 2, Assassin's Creed II) despite Steam listing some of these for sale. They do play on my old retro rigs though so no worries there.

Eventually I got the message I had tried too many activation codes and to try again later, so the remainder of my games that do actually have have keys and Steam list in their Store (Titan Quest, Call of Juarez Bound in Blood, Neverwinter Nights) I will give a go tomorrow to see out of interest if I get anything

Cheers
Rich

Don't expect them to work on Steam, as you did not purchase Steam versions of those games.

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από MancSoulja:

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από Edifier:

Used PC games died with the invention of CD keys which was like a good 20 ish years ago.

I saw it die out in a year or so before people completely stopped doing it.

Not sure why anyone would try it in this day of age with the massive focus on gaming clients that attach your game to it.

It wont be long before the EU force Steam and other digital platforms to allow customers to directly trade back games for store credit.

We've been hearing such things for a few years now. It won't be any time soon and anybody who lives in the EU knows what a slow moving vehicle it actually is.

[electronicanaria]

Well now everything calmed down we get some helpful discussion. Firstly I apologise for getting on my high horse but in fairness some people were also very quick to jump on me and say what I was doing or in someway wrong or illegal. I think that sums up what happened quite well.

Every time I google this it does say that if i buy second hand PHYSICAL PC games in the EU then the seller also transfers the right s to play the contents to me. As you guys are clearly more knowledgeable than me in this topic, is that true or not true? So what does EU law say regards that, really?

[electronicanaria]

Oh just to add by the way, I haven't found one of these old games I bought, that I couldn't play. Though I haven't tried them all yet

[MancSoulja]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από electronicanaria:

Well now everything calmed down we get some helpful discussion. Firstly I apologise for getting on my high horse but in fairness some people were also very quick to jump on me and say what I was doing or in someway wrong or illegal. I think that sums up what happened quite well.

Every time I google this it does say that if i buy second hand PHYSICAL PC games in the EU then the seller also transfers the right s to play the contents to me.

Only if the licence hasn't been redeemed, the licence is exhausted on first use,

Game licences are consumables like food, you can buy an apple and sell it to your friend, but once you've eaten the apple, it no longer exists to sell.

[J4MESOX4D]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από electronicanaria:

Well now everything calmed down we get some helpful discussion. Firstly I apologise for getting on my high horse but in fairness some people were also very quick to jump on me and say what I was doing or in someway wrong or illegal. I think that sums up what happened quite well.

Every time I google this it does say that if i buy second hand PHYSICAL PC games in the EU then the seller also transfers the right s to play the contents to me. As you guys are clearly more knowledgeable than me in this topic, is that true or not true? So what does EU law say regards that, really?

The physical product is yours i.e box, discs and any booklet but the point you are missing is that the code is for a DIGITAL licence. These are to be consumed once and cannot be transferred.

[Crazy Tiger]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από electronicanaria:

Every time I google this it does say that if i buy second hand PHYSICAL PC games in the EU then the seller also transfers the right s to play the contents to me. As you guys are clearly more knowledgeable than me in this topic, is that true or not true? So what does EU law say regards that, really?

That goes for physical games which have multi-use keys, or better named cd keys. When you buy that one second hand, you can install and play it.

When you buy a game with a Steam key, in reality you buy a one time digital key on a physical medium. The regulations with regard to digital content apply for those, which means that the key is redeemed/consumed once it's attached to an account.
When you buy that one second-hand, you buy a coaster.

[electronicanaria]

OK I got that. I will go and google some more, although in fairness this is for personal interest only as all the games I bought do work unless there is some problem with one i did not try.. But this has inspired my interest. To save some effort, under which statute does it state that is the case these licenses are consumable, and in which territories? I ask that as it is only governments who create legislation not private companies, so anything in a EULA would have to comply with national laws otherwise it is invalid. I am talking about physical games only though. So any I physically own I can legally play yes? and sometimes if I am lucky I can redeem those keys in Steam and get bonus games.

[J4MESOX4D]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από electronicanaria:

OK I got that. I will go and google some more, although in fairness this is for personal interest only as all the games I bought do work unless there is some problem with one i did not try.. But this has inspired my interest. To save some effort, under which statute does it state that is the case these licenses are consumable, and in which territories? I ask that as it is only governments who create legislation not private companies, so anything in a EULA would have to comply with national laws otherwise it is invalid. I am talking about physical games only though. So any I physically own I can legally play yes? and sometimes if I am lucky I can redeem those keys in Steam and get bonus games.

If you see a physical PC game that is bound to a DRM like Steam uPlay or Origin, it isn't a physical PC game - it is still a digital licence. Anything else included isn't relevant.

The box could be empty or contain a tea coaster for a disk and it wouldn't change the fact that it's simply a digital licence.

[Crazy Tiger]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από electronicanaria:

OK I got that. I will go and google some more, although in fairness this is for personal interest only as all the games I bought do work unless there is some problem with one i did not try.. But this has inspired my interest. To save some effort, under which statute does it state that is the case these licenses are consumable, and in which territories? I ask that as it is only governments who create legislation not private companies, so anything in a EULA would have to comply with national laws otherwise it is invalid. I am talking about physical games only though. So any I physically own I can legally play yes? and sometimes if I am lucky I can redeem those keys in Steam and get bonus games.

Digital license directive, the one that states that you waive your right to withdrawal when the game gets consumed (either via adding to account or download).

Any actual physical games, the ones with the cd key and which likely are older than 15 years (I have many of those as well) can, of course, legally be played.

Yes, in some cases games had convertable cd keys, which also added the Steam key. Example is Company of Heroes, redeeming the CD key will give you the both the enhanced and legacy Steam versions.
In other cases you can always contact the publishers. For example for Dawn of War Dark Crusade I contacted Sega support for a Steam key. I had to provide proof of ownership (p[ictures of the box, disc, cd key and a written note with a word they told me) and I received a Steam key.

[electronicanaria]

OK thanks for that info

I actually didn't agree to waive my rights as I didn't agree or have any intention to add the game to an account or download anything. I just intend to play the physical game.

However, that aside for now, I am actually a bit more confused now about what redeeming the key on Steam actually does???

I redeemed the keys for my original Sierra Half Life and for Half Life 2 Episode 1.

I then tried to install the original CDs on both my Windows 98 and XP rigs, neither of which are connected to the internet, to see what would happen. Half Life 1 installs on my Windows 98 rig and runs just fine. The activation key still works so it hasn't been consumed.

It also installed on my XP rig though after entering the key number I got the usual silly situation where it asks me to insert the insert the CD even though it is inserted. So I installed the HL1110 patch and now it works fine. Nothing consumed there either.

Counter Strike Condition Zero told me on Steam it has already been registered by someone else. and wouldn't let me play it even though i own it. But I installed it on my Windows 10 rig anyway (for the hell of it), entered the key, and it plays fine. So that isn't consumed either.

I tried Borderlands, which Steam says the Key is invalid, and that installed on the Windows 10 rig but I get that stupid SecuROM thing that never seems to be able to work even though i am connected to the internet on that PC.

Having said that I have had that problem before with SecuROM on Crysis but it was easy to fix, I downloaded some patch or other, I just need to remember what I did and I am sure Borderlands will then work

The only ones I still have problems with at the moment are Battlefield 1 and The Orange Box, but I am sure there must be someway to play them which should be OK to do seeing as I physically own them. Really that is just a challenge, same as sourcing parts and building period correct retro rigs. I actually find that is getting things working is more interesting than playing games on them, to be honest.

But back to the main question; what is the point of redeeming the key on Steam anyway as it doesn't seem to do anything different than playing the game from the disk, and from experience so far it just seems to cause more hassle.

I guess I will try email Steam (and the similar EA thing I tried when i installed Battlefield 1) and send some pics of the physical games like you say and see what happens. Nothing to lose there I guess.

[J4MESOX4D]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από electronicanaria:

I redeemed the keys for my original Sierra Half Life and for Half Life 2 Episode 1.

I then tried to install the original CDs on both my Windows 98 and XP rigs, neither of which are connected to the internet, to see what would happen. Half Life 1 installs on my Windows 98 rig and runs just fine. The activation key still works so it hasn't been consumed

Those are not digital keys bound to a DRM - they are just installation discs with product codes. They were produced before Steam even existed as with all PC games from back then. You don't need internet access to install old PC games this way which don't require platform verification. These are also physical PC games and not digital licences.

If you have the installation discs of old games along with their product codes, they can be installed on as many PC's as possible and the key can be reused over and over.

[Judgmental Amaterasu]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από electronicanaria:

Hi guys
I often pick up old games at the local car boot sale here in sunny Gran Canaria. A car boot sale may be called a flea market where you live, but you get the idea.. I get games for 1 or 2 euros and I am quite a fan of retro gaming. Some of the games I can activate the product on Steam and it often adds even more games to my library. However some say 'The code has already been activated by a different Steam Account and can not be reused' It says contact the retailer or online seller for advice but obviously that does not apply a I bought them at the flea market so there is no retailer, it's a private sale. So what do I do with these games? Obviously I do physically own the originals now so I do own the games. I did do a quick google just to be sure that is the case and it says under EU law these second hand games can be legally sold to me by the seller, and in buying them the purchaser does acquire the rights to play them.

This is what I googled

As with digital games, whenever you purchased a boxed product game, you were also granted a licence to access the copy of the game you purchased. However, unlike with digital games, you also actually acquired ownership of something tangible, namely the disc onto which the copy of the game was pressed. This, together with the application of a legal doctrine known as the "exhaustion of rights" principle (EOR Principle), meant that you were able to freely sell on any boxed product game you purchased as you saw fit and in so doing, transfer your licence to access the game itself to the purchaser.

The exhaustion of rights principle

The EOR Principle is reflected in two pieces of European legislation: the Information Society Directive (which applies to all copyrightable works) and the Software Directive (which applies specifically to software and computer programs).

Each of these Directives provides that the owner of the copyright in a work has the exclusive right to authorise or prohibit the distribution of that work. If, however, a copy of that copyrighted work is sold within the EU with the copyright owner's permission in exchange for the payment of a fee, the copyright owner's right to authorise or prohibit any further sales of that copy of the work within the EU is exhausted

So the law clearly says I own the rights to access the games. Why can't I activate the product with the key number?

No. You don't. You purchased a used product which is received as is. The original purchaser is still in possession of the activation code regardless of the money you spent on a pointless piece of plastic.

[electronicanaria]

OK really no worries guys. I sorted the Borderlands it's working now. I am pretty sure I will get the Orange Box playing as well, sooner or later, if not it's no big deal it was like 1 or 2 euros. I just checked, used copies fetch more than that on a popular auction site (looking at sold listings) and they sell regularly. So there must be some way to use for them as people are buying them.