A U.S. congressman wants to change how we legally “own” video games. Rep. Ritchie Torres has announced plans to introduce the Power To The Players Act, a bill that would direct the FTC to create rules protecting consumers who buy video games. The proposal would give players three basic rights: >The right to own the games they purchase, rather than simply receiving a revocable license >The right to keep playing games after online servers are shut down, through an offline mode >The right to transfer or resell games they own Torres argues that if a company can take a game away simply by shutting down its servers, then the consumer didn’t really buy the game in the first place. Torres also hopes the legislation could eventually establish a precedent for ownership rights across other parts of the digital economy: “If you pay for it, you own it.”

A Pennsylvania state senator is proposing new legal protections for people who buy digital video games. The proposed Protect Our Games Act would require publishers to give players at least 60 days’ notice before shutting down access to a game. Companies would then have to provide an option such as enabling offline play, allowing continued access through a patch, or offering a refund of at least 25% of the original purchase price.