Valve Sued by PRS Over Music Licensing on Steam

PRS, the organization that represents songwriters, composers, and music publishers in the UK, said it has begun legal proceedings against Valve. The group claims the company has never obtained a license for the music rights managed by PRS despite distributing many games that contain works created by its members.

Millions of players download titles through Steam every day, many of which feature licensed soundtracks. PRS argues that making those games available to players still requires a license because the music is being communicated to the public.

According to PRS, the issue has existed since Steam first launched. The organization claims Valve has operated the platform for more than two decades without securing the necessary licensing agreement for music in games distributed through the store.

The lawsuit focuses on how music rights work once a game is sold digitally. Developers and publishers typically negotiate permission to include songs in a game during development. PRS says that is only part of the copyright process. When the finished game is later downloaded or streamed by players through a storefront like Steam, that distribution can trigger a separate set of rights under UK law.

The organization said the case is being brought under Section 20 of the UK’s Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, which governs the “communication to the public” of copyrighted works. PRS argues that digital storefronts must obtain licenses to cover that type of distribution.

PRS also said it has tried to resolve the issue privately with Valve in the past. According to the group, it attempted for years to reach an agreement but did not receive sufficient engagement from the company.

Valve has not publicly responded to the allegations. As Steam continues to host thousands of games and attract tens of millions of concurrent players, the outcome of the PRS lawsuit could shape how digital game storefronts handle music licensing in the future.