Objectives:

This initiative calls upon Congress to propose legislation requiring that videogames sold or licensed to consumers in the US (as well as associated features, downloadable content, or required assets) remain in a functional and playable state after sale. Publishers and rights-holders must not be permitted to unilaterally render such titles inoperable through remote shutdown or service withdrawal, unless they first provide reasonable means for continued access by end users without requiring further publisher involvement.

This proposal does not demand transfer of ownership, intellectual property, or commercial exploitation rights from publishers. It also does not obligate publishers to continue actively supporting discontinued titles beyond maintaining or enabling basic standalone functionality.

Context & Rationale:

We, the undersigned, believe that videogames are not just entertainment—they are cultural artifacts and technological milestones that reflect the creativity, values, and technical innovations of their time. When access to these games is arbitrarily revoked, essential parts of our shared cultural heritage are lost.

Some notable and widely beloved games—titles that shaped gaming eras for many players—are no longer accessible due to publisher shutdowns, DRM dependencies, or service discontinuation. This undermines both preservation efforts and consumer rights. These games merit continued functionality, not premature obsolescence.

This initiative further recognizes the importance of both digital and physical access to games. We advocate for consumer access models that preserve retail distribution, return options, and complete offline functionality. Physical media, such as cartridges and discs, must contain the full game data—not mere license tokens or download stubs.

We stand for:

• The right of consumers to continue playing games they have legally acquired.
• The preservation of retro and legacy games for historical, educational, and cultural purposes.
• The recognition of games as art forms deserving of long-term accessibility.
• The reform of commercial and technological practices that obstruct preservation or enforce artificial product death.

We therefore call upon Congress to take action ensuring that:

• Publishers are prohibited from remotely disabling purchased games without providing continued functional access.
• Legacy games are preserved digitally and physically as part of our cultural record.
• Consumers retain the right to access, store, and preserve titles they have lawfully obtained.

In addition we, the undersigned ask that the Library of Congress, the FTC, and other relevant bodies work to ensure this objective is attained and maintained over time.

Sign this petition to affirm your support for meaningful legal protection of videogame access and preservation—for today's players and tomorrow's historians alike.

Then, please reach out to your legislators to encourage their action on this initiative.

Contact your Congressperson:

By phone:
U.S. Capitol Switchboard
Phone: 202-224-3121

By email,

To contact your U.S. Representative:
https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

To contact your U.S. Senator:
https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm

You may also reach out to your state Congresspeople:
https://www.congress.gov/state-legislature-websites

A template for emailing or discussing the issue is provided here:
Subject: Support Consumer Rights and Videogame Preservation – Prevent Remote Game Disabling

Email Template:

Dear [Congressman/Congresswoman/Senator] [Last Name],

I am writing as a constituent and concerned consumer to urge you to support legislative protections ensuring that legally purchased or licensed videogames remain playable, even after publishers withdraw official support or services.

Increasingly, games are being remotely disabled or rendered nonfunctional due to publisher decisions, despite having been sold in good faith to the public. This undermines basic consumer rights and contributes to the erasure of valuable digital cultural artifacts. Videogames are more than disposable entertainment—they are part of our national cultural record, reflecting artistic, technological, and societal development.

I respectfully request that Congress consider legislation that would:

• Prohibit the remote disabling of video games that consumers have legally purchased.
• Require publishers to provide a reasonable path for continued offline or self-hosted functionality when decommissioning a title.
• Support digital and physical media preservation efforts to ensure long-term public access to games that are no longer commercially supported.
• This issue affects millions of Americans and has significant implications for digital ownership, consumer protection, and cultural preservation. Games matter—as history, as art, and as personal experience. Please stand with consumers in ensuring that what we pay for, we retain access to.

Thank you for your attention and service.

Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Street Address]
[City, State ZIP Code]
[Email Address]
[Phone Number, optional]
[Your Congressional District, if known]

This initiative is sponsored by the Gaming Brethren Advocates Mutual-aid Foundation & Society. http://www.gbamfs.org

Note: Please only sign if you are a US citizen or national. Similar campaigns are active in the EU and UK. You may find them listed here:

EU Petition
https://eci.ec.europa.eu/045/public/#/screen/home

UK Petition
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/702074/