Amazon sued over the term 'Purchase' (1 Viewer)

[Robert Crawford]

True, but those shortcomings of physical media are more accidental- disc rot sucks, but it isn't like the manufacturer purposely designed it to fail after a few years. If they're made right, they should last forever. I have many VHS and Beta tapes that are now over 40 years old and still play like they did when brand new. True that VHS quality is a bit lacking to today's standards, but it still looks as good as it always did. If you're happy with that you're free to stick with it, or otherwise spring for a remastered copy of the same movie on a newer format.

If you lose a digital movie though, that means someone made the conscious decision to take it offline (or change it) and to heck with whoever thought they actually "owned" it. I just can't see any positives to that, and that's why I can't fully embrace that model of "ownership".

When I lose a digital movie then I might agree with you, but I haven't so far.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Remember what happened with Toy Story 2 last year?

Disney edited it to remove the end credits outtake in which the Prospector flirts with Barbie dolls and exhibits casting couch behavior. They reissued new discs to remove the scene, but also removed it from all digital copies, including those that had been redeemed from previous editions. Nobody's allowed to come into my home and take my old disc away from me, but they edited the digital copy because they could and there was nothing I could do about that.

Am I going to sue them over it? No, of course not. But it just demonstrates their ability to modify "owned" digital copies.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Remember what happened with Toy Story 2 last year?

Disney edited it to remove the end credits outtake in which the Prospector flirts with Barbie dolls and exhibits casting couch behavior. They reissued new discs to remove the scene, but also removed it from all digital copies, including those that had been redeemed from previous editions. Nobody's allowed to come into my home and take my old disc away from me, but they edited the digital copy because they could and there was nothing I could do about that.

Am I going to sue them over it? No, of course not. But it just demonstrates their ability to modify "owned" digital copies.

Then don't purchase digitals if you're concern with that issue. I'm making a conscious decision in my purchasing decisions and do it even more so when it comes to Disney titles. Case in point "Splash" and Daryl Hannah's ass crack.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Oh, I almost never purchase digital movies. I redeem the included digital copies, but would never choose a purely digital format over a disc. I just brought Toy Story 2 up as an example to demonstrate that the studios have the ability to do that and have done so in the past.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Oh, I almost never purchase digital movies. I redeem the included digital copies, but would never choose a purely digital format over a disc. I just brought Toy Story 2 up as an example to demonstrate that the studios have the ability to do that and have done so in the past.

Since, March 1st, I've purchased 35 Blu-rays/4K discs. Over that same time frame I've purchased 60-65 digitals in which many of them have only been released on DVD. Some of them are recent movies that have only been released on Blu-ray, but are available in 4K digitally. Also, my digital purchases are not redeemed digital copies. I'm a happy camper with both formats as I understand ahead of time that there are positives and negatives with each of them.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Since, March 1st, I've purchased 35 Blu-rays/4K discs. Over that same time frame I've purchased 60-65 digitals in which many of them have only been released on DVD. Some of them are recent movies that have only been released on Blu-ray, but are available in 4K digitally. Also, my digital purchases are not redeemed digital copies. I'm a happy camper with both formats as I understand ahead of time that there are positives and negatives with each of them.

I have been making more digital purchases than disc purchases for quite awhile, too -- not as many as you, though. The prices are just too good compared with discs, plus it helps solve my storage issues. And once we can travel again, having a large digital library is a convenient way to watch stuff while we are away from home. If I start losing films, I may re-consider, but right now the pluses outweight the minuses for me. I still buy discs, but not nearly as many as in the past.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I have been making more digital purchases than disc purchases for quite awhile, too -- not as many as you, though. The prices are just too good compared with discs, plus it help[s solve my storage issues. And once we can travel again, having a large digital library is a convenient way to watch stuff while we are away from home. If I start losing films, I may re-consider, but right now the pluses outweight the minuses for me. I still buy discs, but not nearly as many as in the past.

Scott,

You just posted the mantra all digital collectors carry with them.

This perfectly explains our obsession with our purchasing choice.

The prices are too good to ignore. In many cases, we can buy BD and 4k copies of films that haven't yet (nor may ever) be released to disc.

I have hundreds of BDs still in shrinkwrap. God knows if all will play properly. There has also been mention of disc rot.

I can hesitantly say digital downloads will outlast discs themselves in the long-term.

 

[Thomas Newton]

I don’t believe this, sorry. iTunes has removed titles for purchase but has never reneged on access to content you purchased that I know off.

Several years ago, Amazon removed the e-book version of 1984, removing it from the Kindle libraries of those who had purchased it. Not online, on the Kindles themselves.

It turned out that the third party who was offering it did not have the rights. However, normally in physical media cases like this, courts only go after the vendor. The people who purchased the item in good faith get to keep their copies.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

While the original version of Star Wars has never been available via digital, I've heard it already has been altered once from the version that was initially available there. I always gave this as an example of a movie that could just be changed at will, as it has been on physical media each time it's reissued (and I've just enjoyed my older copies which are closest to the original version as possible and ignored any later issues.)

When I lose a digital movie then I might agree with you, but I haven't so far.

I've lost one due to an ecosystem going under- it was bought through Target Ticket which went under but was transferred to CinemaNow, which then also went under with nobody to take over this time. That's one movie too many. I've bought many discs from stores that are no longer in business, but can still play those. At least I actually watched the digital movie before losing it- I have several others which we'll have to see if I'll be able to watch before anything happens to them.

 

[Thomas Newton]

Another example of access to content going away: DIVX-Silver movies.

These were purchased versions of DIVX rental movies. The discs were identical to regular DIVX ones. It was the central DRM servers that controlled "rent" vs. "own" treatment.

When Circuit City pulled the plug on DIVX and those DRM servers went down the drain, so did all DIVX-Silver purchases.

 

[Sam Posten]

Several years ago, Amazon removed the e-book version of 1984, removing it from the Kindle libraries of those who had purchased it. Not online, on the Kindles themselves.

It turned out that the third party who was offering it did not have the rights. However, normally in physical media cases like this, courts only go after the vendor. The people who purchased the item in good faith get to keep their copies.

Yes and I almost mentioned that. But I specifically called out iTunes. I have heard speculation and half remembered track names for 10+ years but no actual damning details of iTunes ever removing something.

 

[Wayne_j]

Yes and I almost mentioned that. But I specifically called out iTunes. I have heard speculation and half remembered track names for 10+ years but no actual damning details of iTunes ever removing something.

I think a couple of times purchases from iTunes accidentally disappeared for a few days but then they came back.

 

[Sam Posten]

I think a couple of times purchases from iTunes accidentally disappeared for a few days but then they came back.

Yup. There have been issues but all have been resolved on the end user's favor. Again I think he's misremembering things.

 

[David Weicker]

I have hundreds of BDs still in shrinkwrap.

First of all, this comment is not directed at Ron, so no offense intended.

I've seen this comment many times on this forum, and I always think WTF?

I buy films I want to watch, and then I watch them. Given the size of my collection, I may not rewatch for a few years, but the sole reason I buy any movie is so that I can watch it. At any time there may be one or two new purchases that I haven’t watched yet (and maybe a dozen after Christmas).
But the concept of hundreds is completely foreign to me. And some people have added ‘for years’ to the statement

And I keep thinking, why did you even buy it? Why did you spend all that money if you weren’t going to watch it? It’s a puzzlement.

 

[TravisR]

First of all, this comment is not directed at Ron, so no offense intended.

I've seen this comment many times on this forum, and I always think WTF?

I buy films I want to watch, and then I watch them. Given the size of my collection, I may not rewatch for a few years, but the sole reason I buy any movie is so that I can watch it. At any time there may be one or two new purchases that I haven’t watched yet (and maybe a dozen after Christmas).
But the concept of hundreds is completely foreign to me. And some people have added ‘for years’ to the statement

And I keep thinking, why did you even buy it? Why did you spend all that money if you weren’t going to watch it? It’s a puzzlement.

I don't have hundreds but I probably average about 20 unwatched discs at any time. Holidays and sales create a backlog for me and whenever I come close to killing it, I get an older TV show (pray for me to ever get around to watching the Cheers series set) or another sale rolls around.

 

[Robert Crawford]

First of all, this comment is not directed at Ron, so no offense intended.

I've seen this comment many times on this forum, and I always think WTF?

I buy films I want to watch, and then I watch them. Given the size of my collection, I may not rewatch for a few years, but the sole reason I buy any movie is so that I can watch it. At any time there may be one or two new purchases that I haven’t watched yet (and maybe a dozen after Christmas).
But the concept of hundreds is completely foreign to me. And some people have added ‘for years’ to the statement

And I keep thinking, why did you even buy it? Why did you spend all that money if you weren’t going to watch it? It’s a puzzlement.

David,

Now, you're making me feel awful about myself.

 

[John Dirk]

I have a DVD of Moonraker. The last time I went to put it on, the glue used in manufacturing failed after two decades of use, and the disc could no longer be read in any player I owned. So yes, I had possession of the physical object, but that had no bearing on whether or not I could watch the film.

While I agree there are pluses and minuses for both options, in this case, at least you had the opportunity to make a backup physical copy. I don't bother doing this for the vast majority of my collection as it quickly becomes impractical but I do have a few hundred titles burned to multiple HDD's in addition to their disc counterparts.

Remember what happened with Toy Story 2 last year?

Yep. What he said.

 

[David Weicker]

David,

Now, you're making me feel awful about myself.

Well, I only mentioned 'hundreds', not 'thousands', so you are safe


But really, whatever makes people happy is up to them. I just don't always understand it (which is on me).

 

[BobO'Link]

First of all, this comment is not directed at Ron, so no offense intended.

I've seen this comment many times on this forum, and I always think WTF?

I buy films I want to watch, and then I watch them. Given the size of my collection, I may not rewatch for a few years, but the sole reason I buy any movie is so that I can watch it. At any time there may be one or two new purchases that I haven’t watched yet (and maybe a dozen after Christmas).
But the concept of hundreds is completely foreign to me. And some people have added ‘for years’ to the statement

And I keep thinking, why did you even buy it? Why did you spend all that money if you weren’t going to watch it? It’s a puzzlement.

I can't speak for Ron, but in my case I (used to) buy product faster than I could watch it all. I see a deal or bargain price on a disc I'd like to own (or an upgrade from DVD) or even just a release of a desired title on BR for the first time and make the purchase. That leads to backlog. In my case a couple of hundred movies and 300+ TV seasons - all awaiting my attention.

While I've slowed my purchasing significantly over years past I still purchase a few new titles per month but am slowly catching up as I'm now watching more than I'm purchasing in a month.

I have almost 150 digital "purchases" from Amazon (using slow shipping credits) and have yet to watch a single one.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I always have some unwatched titles, but nothing like what some folks have here. Most of what I have not completed watching yet are complete TV series, as those take me a long time to go through. I do have probably 20 films right now that I haven't watched yet, as I will pick them up on sale and may not have time to get to them for awhile. That's why I always wait for price drops on new releases. Since I already have other unwatched material, I'm in no hurry to add more until the price is attractive.

Oh, and none of my discs are still in the shrink wrap. I unwrap them and scan the covers for my DVD Profiler library when I receive the new titles.