Amazon is one of the world’s largest online marketplaces. Consumers can head to their website and buy just about anything with the simple click of a button, from furniture, to games, to digital TV and movies. Except, there’s a catch. It turns out, buying a digital show or film doesn’t actually mean that it’s never going away. The company has recently clarified that when consumers purchase media through Amazon Prime Video, they are only buying a limited license, and that license can be taken away if needed.
In a lawsuit filed by Amanda Caudel, it was argued that the company is engaging in unfair competition and false advertising. The key sticking point was that Amazon “secretly reserves the right” to shut off access to purchased material at any given time, and that this was not properly explained up front. Amazon’s rebuttal argued that the purchase of Amazon Prime Video content allows for “on-demand viewing over an indefinite period of time” and that this is clearly visible through the their terms of service.
Of course, that’s a small comfort to anyone who would prefer to keep their Prime Video purchases for as long as possible. Amazon didn’t seem to care much whether or not removing content that was paid for is acceptable, only that they had the right to do it. Instead they made the case that they were not required to make this information clearer to consumers, arguing “The most relevant agreement here — the Prime Video Terms of Use — is presented to consumers every time they buy digital content on Amazon Prime Video. These Terms of Use expressly state that purchasers obtain only a limited license to view video content and that purchased content may become unavailable due to provider license restriction or other reasons.”
The company even argued that “an individual does not need to read an agreement in order to be bound by it,” suggesting that putting the information in the terms and service is sufficient warning, regardless of whether or not consumers actually read them. Whether or not that argument will save them from the class-action lawsuit remains to be seen, but regardless, consumers may want to think carefully about what they purchase on Amazon Prime Video, and how long they’ll actually be able to watch it.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
![\"IT電腦補習](\"http://itteacheritfreelance.hk/test/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/logo2-2.png\"){kind=logo}
www.itsec.hk
www.itsec.vip
www.itseceu.uk
Leave a Reply