Why ‘buy’ doesn’t mean what you think it does anymore
By Kim Komando
That movie you bought on Apple TV? That game on Steam? It’s a license that can vanish overnight. Here’s what’s really happening to your digital library.
When you click to buy digital content, you’re buying a license that can be revoked anytime.
Apple and Amazon Prime customers have watched purchased movies vanish.
A California law forces stores to admit you’re buying a license. Big Tech didn’t want two systems, so everyone nationwide sees the warning now.
You’ve got a hundred movies on Apple TV. Paid $15 to $20 each. Maybe $1,500 worth of films you think you own. Except you don’t. So many people don’t know that all you bought was a revocable license to stream them until a licensing deal dies. Then your purchase dies with it.
Sony told PlayStation customers it was deleting over 1,300 Discovery shows from their libraries, including ones they’d paid for.
By Kim Komando
That movie you bought on Apple TV? That game on Steam? It’s a license that can vanish overnight. Here’s what’s really happening to your digital library.
When you click to buy digital content, you’re buying a license that can be revoked anytime.
Apple and Amazon Prime customers have watched purchased movies vanish.
A California law forces stores to admit you’re buying a license. Big Tech didn’t want two systems, so everyone nationwide sees the warning now.
You’ve got a hundred movies on Apple TV. Paid $15 to $20 each. Maybe $1,500 worth of films you think you own. Except you don’t. So many people don’t know that all you bought was a revocable license to stream them until a licensing deal dies. Then your purchase dies with it.
Sony told PlayStation customers it was deleting over 1,300 Discovery shows from their libraries, including ones they’d paid for.
Why ‘buy’ doesn’t mean what you think it does anymore - Komando.com
That movie you bought on Apple TV? That game on Steam? It’s a license that can vanish overnight. Here’s what’s really happening to your digital library.
https://www.komando.com/news/streaming/why-buy-doesnt-mean-what-you-think-it-does-anymore
08:32 AM - Feb 05, 2026
Only people mentioned by johnburke in this post can reply
