14 DAY TRIAL // It is indisputable that services such as Humble Bundle are largely beneficial for both developers and consumers, with the pay-what-you-want model also netting some hefty sums to several charities.
Unfortunately, some digital distribution website are purportedly taking advantage of the offer, as apparently, Humble Bundle Steam keys are being re-sold through websites owned by 7 Entertainment, according to a report from a developer.
The digital distributor of PC games is allegedly re-selling keys obtained through indie bundle sales for profit, as GameInformer reports.
So far the main culprits seem to be Fast2Play, Kinguin and G2Play, which are all owned by 7 Entertainment, as discovered by the developer of Proteus, who upon finding the game at a price higher than what the Humble Bundle costs but still well under what Steam charges, bought and cross-referenced the key with the list issued to Humble Bundle.
Other sites are also doing this, and the practice is especially prevalent with sites that allow their users to also sell games.
“This seems to be unrelated to G2A.com but I do know some indies who also had problems with their games being sold without their agreement on that site,” Keys said.
Some developers have been successful in their attempts to remove their creations from such websites in the past, and they stated that the main reason why this occurs is because nobody thinks it’s going to be addressed.
The websites are based in the EU, and resale is prohibited by the non-commercial use terms set by Humble Bundle.
“What was obtained in this instance was a non-transferable license to use a game. Unlike physical goods, digital products can have these restrictions placed on them and while the law is developing in this area, this is where it currently stands in the EU,” said Alex Tutty, an associate at Sheridans in the UK.
Humble Bundle is well aware of this situation, and last November it has implemented a system that allows buyers to redeem games on Steam directly from purchased bundles, along with the option to gift games they already own, which hopefully has reduced the magnitude of the key re-selling issue.
The full report is available in the link at the top, for those interested in further reading. Since the issue arose, 7 Entertainment has updated its terms in order to prohibit the resale of Humble Bundle keys, in an attempt to prevent future wrongdoings.
Their websites function as platforms for distributors to sell digital goods, and the representatives have apologized and assured the developers, Humble Bundle and consumers that they never meant to cause any harm to them.