Which regulatory agencies enforce this type of clause?

{'agency': 'FTC', 'reason': "The FTC can investigate whether Valve's broad content license terms constitute unfair or deceptive practices, particularly if the royalty-free commercial use of user content is not clearly disclosed at the time of submission.", 'complaint_url': 'https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/'}

What is the severity of this clause?

ConductAtlas classifies this User-Generated Content License Grant clause as medium severity. Severity reflects the magnitude of rights affected, the breadth of users impacted, and the degree of discretion the platform retains.

Do other platforms have similar clauses?

Yes. ConductAtlas has identified similar User-Generated Content License Grant clauses across approximately 1 other tracked platforms. You can compare how platforms differ on this clause type in the cross-platform comparison view.

User-Generated Content License Grant — Steam

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What it is

Any content you post to Steam — including game guides, workshop mods, screenshots, or videos — can be used by Valve for free, forever, anywhere in the world, and they can sublicense it to others. You do not receive payment for this use.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Content creators who publish mods, guides, or videos on Steam grant Valve a perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide license to use and monetize that content, potentially without compensation to the creator.

Cross-platform context

See how other platforms handle User-Generated Content License Grant and similar clauses.

Compare across platforms →

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Why it matters (compliance & risk perspective)

If you create popular mods, guides, or videos and share them on Steam, Valve can use, reproduce, and commercialize that content without paying you or needing your additional permission.

View original clause language

When you provide Content (including but not limited to screenshots, videos, guides, workshop items, and any other user submissions) to Valve or to Steam, you grant Valve a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, create derivative works of, display and perform that Content in connection with the Steam service and Valve's (and its successors' and affiliates') business, including without limitation for promoting and redistributing part or all of the Steam service (and derivative works thereof) in any media formats and through any media channels.

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision engages copyright law (17 U.S.C. §§101 et seq., particularly the work-made-for-hire doctrine and license transfers); EU Directive 2019/790 on copyright in the Digital Single Market (Arts. 17-23 on platform liability and creator compensation); EU Digital Services Act (DSA) Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 regarding terms governing user content; and potentially the EU's Platform-to-Business Regulation 2019/1150. The US Copyright Office and EU national copyright authorities are relevant enforcement bodies.

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Applicable agencies

FTC

The FTC can investigate whether Valve's broad content license terms constitute unfair or deceptive practices, particularly if the royalty-free commercial use of user content is not clearly disclosed at the time of submission.
File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information

Document

Steam Subscriber Agreement

Entity

Steam

Document last updated

April 29, 2026

Tracking information

First tracked

April 18, 2026

Last verified

April 18, 2026

Record ID

CA-P-002921

Document ID

CA-D-00181

Evidence Provenance

Source URL

https://store.steampowered.com/subscriber_agreement/

Wayback Machine

View archived versions →

SHA-256

50755f81522ed919eb180755a4517649cb9d59401e7c9a3de1e2701b84171d9d

Verified

✓ Snapshot stored ✓ Change verified

How to Cite

ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Steam | Document: Steam Subscriber Agreement | Record: CA-P-002921
Captured: 2026-04-18 10:51:33 UTC | SHA-256: 50755f81522ed919…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/steam/steam-subscriber-agreement/user-generated-content-license-grant/
Accessed: May 2, 2026

Classification

Severity

Medium

User-Generated Content License Grant