Sony PlayStation bought film removal

General Discussion
1

Absolutely not SmartThings related in any way but just a word of warning about the world we live in now.
People who have bought outright films through the PlayStation store won’t own them any more from 1st September (granted you haven’t been able to buy new films for a few years via ps store but that’s no excuse).

I’ve always be very sceptical of buying any films online and those I have were only as a quirk where buying was the same or cheaper than renting.

It’s outrageous that Sony can do this without any compensation, refund or even apology.

To me it feels like the equivalent of the Amazon delivery guy coming into your house and taking blu rays you’d previously bought.

2

Users do not own digital videos they “purchase” from streaming platforms and digital storefronts, such as Apple, Amazon, or YouTube. When clicking “buy” on a digital video, you are typically acquiring a non-exclusive, non-transferable, and revocable license to access and view the content for personal use.

Key points about digital video “ownership”:

  • Revocable Access: Digital content can be removed from your library due to license expirations between the platform and the content provider, or if a platform shuts down.

  • Licensing Over Ownership: The terms of service, often in the fine print, explain that you are licensing the content, not owning a copy outright.

  • Digital Rights Management (DRM): Many digital items are protected by DRM, which limits how and where you can watch the content (e.g., restricted to one platform’s ecosystem).

  • Physical vs. Digital: Unlike buying a physical DVD or Blu-ray, you cannot legally sell or transfer your digital purchase to someone

  • Legal Changes: Recent legislation, such as California’s Assembly Bill 2426 (effective in 2025), requires companies to be more transparent about the fact that they are licensing digital content, not selling it.

When do you own a digital video?
You generally own a digital video only if you have downloaded a DRM-free file (e.g., from sites like GOG) that you can store on your own device and play without needing an active, third-party internet

3

Yep, I knew all that. I don’t think digital content providers should be able to use the term “buy” in that scenario. It’s effectively a rental with an unspecified termination date. But if marketed like that I doubt many would “bite”.