EU hits game distributor Valve, 5 others with 7.8 mln euro fine (updated)
20/01/2021 11:36
(Adds European Commissioner comment, details)
By Foo Yun Chee
BRUSSELS, Jan 20 (Reuters) - U.S. distributor Valve Corp,
owner of the world's largest video game distribution platform
Steam, and 5 video game publishers received a 7.8-million-euro
($9.45 million) EU antitrust fine on Wednesday for blocking
cross-border sales in Europe.
The penalty followed a four-year investigation, as part of
the European Commission's crackdown on cross-border curbs on
online trade in the bloc.
Valve did not admit wrongdoing and was fined 1.66 million
euros. Fines for the five video game publishers - Bandai Namco
7832.T , Capcom 9697.T , Focus Home ALFOC.PA , Koch Media,
part of Embracer Group AB EMBRACb.ST , and ZeniMax - were
reduced by 10%-15% after they admitted wrongdoing.
The Commission, the EU executive, said the companies'
practices prevented European consumers from shopping around in a
European market worth more than 17 billion euros.
"Today's sanctions against the 'geo-blocking' practices of
Valve and five PC video game publishers serve as a reminder that
under EU competition law, companies are prohibited from
contractually restricting cross-border sales," EU Competition
Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.
The EU competition enforcer said Valve and each publisher
bilaterally agreed to geo-block certain PC video games from
outside a specific territory, affecting some 100 video games.
($1 = 0.8251 euros)
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Barbara Lewis)
((foo.yunchee@thomsonreuters.com; +32 2 287 6844; Reuters
Messaging: foo.yunchee.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))