The internet has made everything sooooo convenient. Once upon a time, dvds filled up the house. However, just as dvd's replace videotapes, so did streaming services replace the now-bulky dvds. It's pretty easy. It's a rainy day and you feel like watching the first two Godfather movies. Go to Prime, purchase the movie for $16.99, and voila, it is yours, right? Not so fast, my friend. You don't own that copy of the movie as you would if it were a dvd. Amazon considers the "purchase" to be a license it can revoke at any time. The Hollywood Reporter reported:
When an Amazon Prime Video user buys content on the platform, what they're really paying for is a limited license for “on-demand viewing over an indefinite period of time” and they're warned of that in the company's terms of use. That's the company's argument for why a lawsuit over hypothetical future deletions of content should be dismissed.
In April, Amanda Caudel sued Amazon for unfair competition and false advertising. She claims the company "secretly reserves the right" to end consumers' access to content purchased through its Prime Video service. She filed her putative class action on behalf of herself and any California residents who purchased video content from the service from April 25, 2016, to present.
On Monday, Amazon filed a motion to dismiss her complaint arguing that she lacks standing to sue because she hasn't been injured — and noting that she's purchased 13 titles on Prime since filing her complaint.
"Plaintiff claims that Defendant Amazon’s Prime Video service, which allows consumers to purchase video content for streaming or download, misleads consumers because sometimes that video content might later become unavailable if a third-party rights’ holder revokes or modifies Amazon’s license," writes attorney David Biderman in the motion, which is posted below. "The Complaint points vaguely to online commentary about this alleged potential harm but does not identify any Prime Video purchase unavailable to Plaintiff herself. In fact, all of the Prime Video content that Plaintiff has ever purchased remains available."
Further, Amazon argues, the site's required user agreements explain that some content may later become unavailable.... Rest of article.
9 comments:
No different than "buying" music on iTunes....
So in other words if you "buy" a movie from Amazon and they sell the rights to another company, you no longer own it.
Has anyone ever figured out how they put that horrible Coldplay album on your iTunes without permission?
@10:55 It was U2... *shudder*
2:10 U2/Coldplay, they are both worse than Nickelback, and that is saying something.
During the 80's & 90's, a Friday night date that involved a stop at the local Blockbuster video store almost always
guaranteed a happy ending to the night.
Hell . . . video cassette rentals are the main cause of the Millennial "boom".
LOL
On a somewhat related front, but altogether different, all those CDs you have in various cases and strapped to your sun visor are worthless if you buy many brands of new cars and trucks since they no longer build in the CD players. Planned obsolescence.
I remember years ago scoffing at the idea that 'they' could make me pay to watch my own TV set. I noticed yesterday that my ATT Uverse cable bill is $183.27 per month. I reckon I pay that so I don't have to go out and twist the antenna pole in the rain.
Get yourself a Synology NAS and Plex and you won't have these worries.
So...If I bought a movie hard-copy a year ago and the production company changes hands, I can't play the movie any more? What stupid bullshit, Kingfish.
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