Summary from getrecall:

April updates on campaign to stop game destruction

Campaign Progress

• The UK petition to stop games from being destroyed by publishers has reached 10,000 signatures, and the [[Australia | Australian]] petition is expected to open next week.
• Players who received [[The Crew (video game) | The Crew]] for free can still submit a complaint to the DGCCRF, but it’s recommended not to volunteer that information.
• Cases where players clearly owned the game are preferred for complaints.
• The [[Canada | Canadian]] petition is facing challenges due to a lack of response from Canadian Parliament members.

Crowdsourcing and Data Management

• Setting up an official Discord server is being reconsidered due to concerns about potential infiltration by PR firms working for publishers.
• [[Crowdsourcing]] efforts are needed to update and maintain a list of game shutdowns and at-risk games.
• A spreadsheet export option for the list would be beneficial for data analysis and sharing.

Legal Actions

• An [[Australia | Australian]] law firm has been secured to file an official complaint to the ACCC on behalf of Australian owners of [[The Crew (video game) | The Crew]].
• A website called torn.com has offered to fund the legal fees for the Australian action and potentially for the [[Brazil | Brazilian]] lawsuit as well.
• More [[French language | French]] and Brazilian owners of The Crew are needed to join the mediation process.
• The Brazilian lawsuit is likely to happen, and an affected owners list is being compiled.

Focus on The Crew and Digital Game Preservation

• The focus remains on The Crew as it presents a unique opportunity to address digital game preservation.
• [[Nintendo]] and [[Sony]] shutting down multiplayer components of games may not be actionable, except in [[Australia]].

Ubisoft’s Response

• Ubisoft has not responded to the campaign, and the blanket response from Ubisoft emphasizes their unwillingness to support continued game operation.
• Ubisoft removing licenses from accounts does not affect the campaign’s plans or goals.

Piracy and Consumer Protection

• The argument “if buying isn’t owning, then piracy isn’t stealing” indicates a misunderstanding of the issue.
• Piracy may become less relevant in the future due to increased game protection measures.
• The focus should be on the fact that the game is inoperable and that it was purchased as a one-time purchase.
• If a [[Consumer protection | consumer protection]] agency notices the violation of inoperability, it could potentially help raise awareness of the issue.