When we eagerly threw away our DVDs in favor of a clutter-free lifestyle with streaming, we took the security of physical media for granted. Now, we could see series and movies disappearing from our paid streaming platforms, or worse, media being deleted that we thought we actually “owned” forever. A new California law aims to protect consumers from deceptive sales of movies, games, books, and other digital goods.
In other words, a company like Apple or Amazon can’t use words like “buy” or “purchase” for a movie, television show, or e-book if that digital item could later be removed from your library. California now considers this not only deceptive, but illegal.
Recent History of Disappearing Media
Volatile digital purchases are not a new phenomenon. In 2021, Apple faced criticism for advertising iTunes movies as stuff you could “buy,” when technically there was a possibility that these movies could be removed from your library going forward.
More recently, game maker Ubisoft got in trouble in April for withdrawing licenses for one of its games even though players had already purchased it. While these buyers reportedly received refunds, the loss shows the transience of digital assets. Sometimes, it’s not just about the money; you need to know what you’re getting, and how long you’re getting it for.
What AB 2426 means for our digital future
California law requires companies to acknowledge to consumers that what they’re buying is actually a temporary license for digital media. While this may just be a state law at this point, California is a huge part of the entertainment industry. I could be wrong, but I have to believe that if streamers are going to make changes to their systems and UI, those changes will be reflected across the US and not just customized for Californians. There’s also a good chance that other states will follow suit and this will become the new standard.
There are plenty of reasons to choose physical media over digital media, but the truth is that there’s always a risk of losing something. I’ve definitely scratched a few DVDs that are impossible to fix. However, in that case, I was in full control of that damage. In this new age of selling and buying digital goods, it’s important that we, the consumers, know what is and isn’t allowed in our jurisdiction.