US Congressman's Power To The Players Act Is Fighting For Digital Ownership

While Sony Kills Discs, This US Congressman Is Fighting For Digital Ownership Source: Adobe Stock Published Oct 17, 2026, 9:59 AM EDT James Lucas is an Executive Editor at TheGamer who has worked in professional journalism since 2018. A Newcastle University graduate with a degree in Journalism, Media, and Culture, they have written hundreds of guides, news stories, and original reports, with bylines in IGN, NME, GaymingMag, and VG247, sourcing interviews with studio heads, legendary industry figures, prominent actors, and more. An expert on FPS games, Soulslikes, RPGs, and survival horror, James has intimate knowledge of a wide variety of titles, providing in-depth coverage and exclusive profiles. Some of the games they have extensively covered include: Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Elden Ring, and Fallout. They pride themselves on their consistently thorough research, leveraging nearly a decade of industry experience. You can reach them at James.t@thegamer.com Sign in to your TheGamer account Sony's decision to kill discs has put an uncomfortable spotlight on what buying a digital game really means. Storefronts often reference owning a game, but the terms-of-service specify that a digital purchase is actually a non-exclusive license the platform holder can revoke at any time. That's not exactly reassuring when Sony is currently removing hundreds of movies and TV shows from users' libraries without compensation, and shutting down legacy storefronts like the PS3 and Vita. One US politician, New York Democratic Congressional Representative Ritchie Torres, has introduced new legislation that aims to address these concerns, fighting for digital ownership now that discs are being phased out on PlayStation. As reported by IGN, he is doing so via The Powers to the Players act, which would direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to introduce regulations that protect gamers and their libraries. Rather than being granted a license when you make a digital purchase, this would mean that you actually own the game. "Consumers must have the right to own, the right to play, and the right to transfer the games they buy," Torres said. "A game that can be taken away the moment a company pulls the plug is not a purchase. It is a rental disguised as a sale. Families in the Bronx and across the country save up to buy these games, and they deserve better than a license that can vanish at any time. The Power to the Players act ensures consumers own what they buy and can keep playing long after a company moves on." The Powers To The Players Act Also Seeks To Ensure Publishers Offer Offline Modes Before Servers Are Shut Down Torres' bill not only addresses concerns of digital ownership, but the same concerns that Stop Killing Games has lobbied for in California and the EU: ensuring that games remain accessible to their owners even after servers have been shut down. Torres specifically points to the single-player modes becoming inaccessible in NBA 2K25 after two years. "The game, which retailed at $69.99 for the standard edition and $99.99 for the All-Star Edition, will be delisted from digital storefronts on October 30 and will have its online servers shut down on December 31," he explained. "No consumer should have a game they paid for pulled out from under them on a company's arbitrary timeline." Developers would be required under The Power to the Players act to provide offline modes before servers are shut down, as the bill "aims to close the gap between buying a game and owning it." Whether it passes is another question entirely, but it at least signifies that pressure is mounting against publishers concerning digital rights.