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Playstation removing previously purchased Discovery content

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Re: Playstation removing previously purchased Discovery content

#161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's assuming you only ever run old Blu-Rays on that player. Blu-Ray has a thing called BD+ on it, which lets content companies run arbitrary native code on your player (among other things). It also lets you update your player's key revocation list for HDCP. So either of these mechanisms could be used to render your old purchased content unplayable.

Do you have any sources for this?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BD%2B

The one thing I'm not 100% certain on is if HDCP revocation list updates go through BD+ or if there's a separate mechanism for those updates. However, BD+ code gets to inspect your player software and modify it, which is sufficient capability to do updates, even if they don't use it for such.

I also don't know if they continue to release updated BD+ code or if they've given up on that.

Re: Playstation removing previously purchased Discovery content

#162
post #121
post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All iTunes movies have DRM. Read their agreement carefully and you'll see the same thing as Sony and everyone else – they are selling you a license to the media which they can revoke at any time. And Apple has done this plenty of times in the past with movies, books, apps, music.

Yes, but Apple doesn't revoke downloaded content. I'm fully aware they've done this before.

[deleted]

Re: Playstation removing previously purchased Discovery content

#163
post #5

> you will no longer be able to watch any of your previously purchased Discovery content and the content will be removed Content you purchased. Their wording. Not content you rented, not license you paid for. They are effectively stealing the content you purchased.

You don't actually "purchase" physical media. It's still licensed. The question for digital purchases is how perpetual the license is. This is different from Spotify and Netflix where you clearly are renting it, and there's no confusion over that.

Maybe you license physical media, but I don't. I purchase it and do with it as I please under the fair use laws of the United States.

Re: Playstation removing previously purchased Discovery content

#164
post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't actually "purchase" physical media. It's still licensed. The question for digital purchases is how perpetual the license is. This is different from Spotify and Netflix where you clearly are renting it, and there's no confusion over that.

You can do whatever you want to with physical media, license be damned. Most people won't go further than making a physical copy to load on to their NAS. This is a license violation, but there won't be any enforcement because mass distribution via torrents is a much bigger threat.

There will never be enforcement because such a provision is not enforceable.

Re: Playstation removing previously purchased Discovery content

#165
post #4

With DRM you never purchase _content_. You only purchase a _license_ to access it. Words do matter. I sense possible legal grounds for reimbursments if it wasn't crystal clear to the layman.

Oh my bad. I didn't know the store says "License This Movie" instead of "Buy Now" or "Own" on all the buttons.

Re: Playstation removing previously purchased Discovery content

#166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're allowed to copy a VHS tape, you're just not allowed to distribute copies of VHS tapes. You still own the physical tape itself, and you have a perpetual right to play, copy, and modify the tape as much as you like, for personal use.

> for personal use This is why it's still a license. Public performances are explicitly forbidden. So it's still not "yours."

That's not a license. That's a law. Laws are not licenses.

Re: Playstation removing previously purchased Discovery content

#167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Read your own article. The byline reads: > Google is taking the unprecedented step of paying back users for all the games they bought on its cloud gaming platform. Google _voluntarily_ refunded their customers. It's unheard of and was, frankly, extremely unexpected. Good for Google and good for Stadia customers.

In the same article it points out microsoft also refunded their ebooks when they deleted content people bought. Assuming these were sold as a perpetual licence (and by the wording Sony used it looks like they were), by removing the content they are in breach of contract, that gets expensive and messy quickly, quicker easier and cheaper just to refund them. There is obviously some kind of legal disagreement happening…

Ths smart move is to only refund users who get their lawyer to write a letter.

Re: Playstation removing previously purchased Discovery content

#168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't actually "purchase" physical media. It's still licensed. The question for digital purchases is how perpetual the license is. This is different from Spotify and Netflix where you clearly are renting it, and there's no confusion over that.

Maybe you license physical media, but I don't. I purchase it and do with it as I please under the fair use laws of the United States.

Unfortunately, this is not the case with physical media that contains licensed material. IF a case were pursued, you would likely pay whatever penalty without any real contest (like 99% of criminals who attempt an insanity plea).

Re: Playstation removing previously purchased Discovery content

#169
post #5

> you will no longer be able to watch any of your previously purchased Discovery content and the content will be removed Content you purchased. Their wording. Not content you rented, not license you paid for. They are effectively stealing the content you purchased.

They're not stealing anything. People should read the legal contracts they sign or to which they otherwise agree. Streaming services typically include a clause about the right to remove content for any reason and regardless of who has purchased it. This is exactly why their courtesy notice doesn't include a word about refunds and a perfect example of the serious societal problem of people having a knee-jerk reaction to something merely because they haven't been paying attention and didn't do much (if any) research prior to venting their frustrations to the world.

Re: Playstation removing previously purchased Discovery content

#170
post #5

> you will no longer be able to watch any of your previously purchased Discovery content and the content will be removed Content you purchased. Their wording. Not content you rented, not license you paid for. They are effectively stealing the content you purchased.

They're not stealing anything. People should read the legal contracts they sign or to which they otherwise agree. Streaming services typically include a clause about the right to remove content for any reason and regardless of who has purchased it. This is exactly why their courtesy notice doesn't include a word about refunds and a perfect example of the serious societal problem of people having a knee-jerk reaction…

Not sure why you're excusing mis-selling. Legal small print isn't allowed to contradict the key points and larger text, of the context of the sale.
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