When you pay extra for a movie or TV show online, do you really own it? Most people think so, but the truth is far less comforting. What you’re paying for isn’t actual ownership of the title, it’s just a license to watch it, and that license can be taken away at any time.
If Amazon loses rights to a film that you apparently ‘own’, the film could be replaced with a different cut, or vanish from your library altogether. This gap between what people think they’re buying and what they actually get is at the centre of a new lawsuit against Amazon.
A proposed class action argues that Amazon misleads customers by using the word “buy” while quietly burying the truth in fine print. The company’s terms make clear that users only get a revocable license, not permanent ownership. Critics call this a “bait and switch” that tricks people into spending money under false promises.
These very scummy practices have become the foothold of digital media. Calling something a purchase unless it comes with real, unrestricted ownership should be forbidden. Sellers must also make sure buyers understand they’re only getting a license if that’s the case. Lawyers for consumers say Amazon fails this test because its warning is hidden at the very bottom of the purchase screen in tiny letters.
This fight is about more than one company. It’s about how digital media is increasingly being lent to us instead of sold. For many, it’s also a reminder of why physical DVDs and Blu-rays still matter, they can’t be taken away.
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