EU Charges Valve and 5 Game Publishers With Unfair 'Geo-Blocking'

The European Commission charged Valve, the owner of a video distribution platform, and five game publishers on Friday with preventing EU consumers from shopping around within the European Union to find the best deal for the games they offer. From a report: The case is the latest move by EU antitrust regulators against cross-border curbs on online trade, key to what is seen as a major part of economic growth in the 28-country bloc. The Commission, which oversees competition policy in the 28 EU countries, said that the companies were Valve, the owner of the world's largest video game distribution platform 'Steam', and five game makers -- Bandai Namco, Capcom, Focus Home, Koch Media and ZeniMax. 'In a true digital single market, European consumers should have the right to buy and play video games of their choice regardless of where they live in the EU,' European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said. The Commission has sent what it calls a 'statement of objections' to the companies, allowing them to reply and request hearings to present their arguments.

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