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This is the way it has been working for quite some time with all digital distribution networks.
The shocking thing here is that you get compensation, Apple e.g. has never done that, in the past they did not even send a notification if they deleted something from your library.
Yes, the whole concept is scummy. But Amazon at least tries as best as they can in the context of licenses from third parties…
Piracy is always the answer
After over a decade of giving up on physical media, I’m now back to collecting it primarily because of this major issue with streaming services.
It’s just a long term licence to watch it
Strictly speaking, so is a DVD or other physical media, per the EULA they flash across the screen for half a second before starting the show and therefore makes it legally binding.
The big difference is that nobody’s running around trying to claw back DVDs. Whereas, with Amazon, its trivially easy to just click “Remove License” from the repository and snatch back an arbitrary number of licenses. Purely a question of convenience.
Of course, if you have a… uh… backup copy stored conveniently on a PLEX server, then they can’t claw that back either.
They did try to do expiring dvds thank god it didn’t work
You expect them to keep playing you videos they can no longer legally license to you? I’m not saying that the state of things where this can happen are fine though.
No, I think they expected that if they bought an item, they own it now, and none of this “legal license” mumbo jumbo would be relevant
How is this a surprise? How is anybody surprised? Why is this news?
Exactly, it’s not news. If you buy DRM-encoded media you don’t own it. You are just leasing it on terms decided by the seller, which are subject to change at their whim.
Buy DRM-free or physical media and make your own copy.
Not a surprise, but still disgusting when we actually see it happen.
They’ve done this previously with books, music, and other media purchased through them and they aren’t alone. Apple and Google have also been on the hook for this. This usually happens when they lose the right to sell some form of media (they make deals with record labels, artists, movie companies, publishers etc to license the right to sell that media for the purpose of streaming). You’re buying the right to stream/enjoy that media indefinitely (until they lose the rights to sell it to you and then they have to remove it from their library of streamable media). You can absolutely download that media and keep it somewhere not connected to the internet. But they can absolutely remove it.
The one exception used to be Google Play Music. Their terms were such that you actually owned the music you purchased. I assume that’s part of the reason they sunsetted that app and their music selling altogether. The cost was too high vs the number of paid users.
Apple has also done this and it was a big deal because they didn’t notify customers at all at the time.
Edit: I’m gonna add that this licensing agreement is similar to the one made when we bought physical media from retail stores. They have the right to sell it until their licensing agreement runs out. When or if it runs out they send back their remaining inventory and proof that they sold everything else. And the only reason a company isn’t requesting that media back in this event is because it’s cost prohibitive for them.
“your” library
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Sometimes I think I made the right decision to just get a huge harddrive and download all my favorite entertainment in drm free format. Movies, music, games, books. I saw this coming a mile away a decade ago. The only thing that will really hurt me is if/when Steam inevitably goes full corporate cucks and starts going hard on the DRM locking down my library.
Arrrr maty!
When you buy something from a streaming service you’re only buying the right to stream it, nothing more.
You can’t compare it to owning physical media because there are ongoing costs involved for Amazon to host it and ever changing contracts with media companies outlining what they are allowed to host.
Then what do you call a video rental?
…A temporary right to stream? What even is the point of this question that’s asked as some sort of gotcha?
What’s it to you?
Thanks for the reply, I kinda wanted to downvote you again.
Ouch! My feelings are hurt… Lol don’t. Be a turd plz
If people suddenly collectively understood they’re paying for basically nothing it would probably spur large-scale revolution.
He received what he paid for and then got his money back
I think people already understand this, they just don’t care as long as their devices play the media they want to consume.
I think you are too optimistic on this.
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All those tv junkies would have to get off of their couches though
That’s why I stopped using streaming services and started robbing studio executives and using the proceeds to buy physical media from the dude parked in front of the FastTax.
Another reason physical > digital.
Donner cut is still right there on my shelf. If Amazon wants to take it, they can TRY. Good luck!
