Steam has begun making clear that you're buying a license to play a game, as opposed to actually owning the game.

This article tells you how players can fix the “Steam must be running to play this game” error on Windows desktops and laptops. Do your games throw up that Steam error message when you try to play them?

Steam appears to have started posting a notice in its shopping cart that purchases on its storefront are only for a license and not a game, according to a notice spotted by Engadget. It looks like an attempt by the company to get ahead of a new California law coming next year that forces companies to admit that buyers don't actually own digital content.

Steam is now showing a new disclosure on its store checkout screen that clarifies you don’t actually own a game.

There comes a point in most experienced Steam shoppers' lives where they wonder what would happen if their account was canceled or stolen, or perhaps they just stopped breathing. It's scary to think about how many games in your backlog will never get played;

Steam has apparently started alerting users that they’re obtaining digital licenses to play games, paving way for other marketplaces like PS Store to follow suit. The move comes ahead of an upcoming California law that will require online storefronts to admit that players don’t actually own the content that they pay for.

Have you ever bought an app or game from a digital storefront, only for it to suddenly disappear and become inaccessible without warning? It’s both confusing and frustrating, which is why some governments are stepping in and hoping to make things clearer for consumers.

Ahead of new California legislation requiring storefronts to make it clear customers are only buying a license for digital content rather than outright owning it, Steam has implemented a message at the point of purchase doing just that.

Whenever you purchase a game on Steam, you’ll now be met with a warning, stating that you're buying a license and not the game itself.