A proposed class action against Amazon was filed in Washington federal court on Friday, alleging a ‘bait and switch’ where the company allegedly deceived consumers into believing they had purchased content instead of receiving a license to watch, which can be revoked at any time.
One of the less-known facts about movie and TV show ‘purchases’ online is that they are not actually purchasing the title, but rather a limited-time license for viewing access.
The original Alien director’s cut on Amazon Prime Video is priced at $4.99, which is fairly cheap given the director’s cut. In the event that the tech giant is unable to obtain the rights to that version, the movie could be replaced with a different format, similar to the one in theaters. In case Amazon loses all rights to the film, it will be completely removed from the viewer’s library. Is Amazon allowed to state that a consumer is ‘buying’ that movie?
The California legislature in 2023 noticed that gamers would lose access to The Crew if Ubisoft shut down servers for the game, causing the issue to come to light. In an effort to prevent publishers from destroying titles consumers had already purchased, the ‘Stop Killing Games’ movement was born.
Part of the reason for the resurgence of physical media is the structure of digital transactions, the lack of transparency surrounding them, and the streaming landscape.The complicated licensing system that leaves fans unable to access their favorite titles can now and forever be bypassed through DVDs.
The company informs consumers on its website and platform that they can purchase a movie. Fine print hidden in a footnote on the confirmation page reveals that you have a license to the video and agree to our terms, as per the complaint.
California’s unfair competition, false advertising, and consumer legal remedy laws are alleged to have been violated in the lawsuit. The complaint is seeking unspecified damages, which include disgorgement of profits and punitive damages for allegedly intentional malicious conduct.