Audible class action lawsuit - Revision history

Tempo123: Replace CRW link with web.archive.org link in citation 31

2026-03-24T17:10:48Z

Replace CRW link with web.archive.org link in citation 31

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:10, 24 March 2026
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	*'''Golden Unicorn Enterprises & Big Dog Books v. Audible (S.D.N.Y.)''' – Contract and royalty accounting claims related to the “Great Listen Guarantee” were largely resolved in Audible’s favor by the district court in 2023.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-01-14 \|title=Golden Unicorn Enters. v. Audible, Inc. – Opinion \|url=https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/golden-unicorn-enters-v-1068772033 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=vLex \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250930230644/https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/golden-unicorn-enters-v-1068772033 \|archive-date=30 Sep 2025}}</ref>		*'''Golden Unicorn Enterprises & Big Dog Books v. Audible (S.D.N.Y.)''' – Contract and royalty accounting claims related to the “Great Listen Guarantee” were largely resolved in Audible’s favor by the district court in 2023.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-01-14 \|title=Golden Unicorn Enters. v. Audible, Inc. – Opinion \|url=https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/golden-unicorn-enters-v-1068772033 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=vLex \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250930230644/https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/golden-unicorn-enters-v-1068772033 \|archive-date=30 Sep 2025}}</ref>
	*'''Hollis v. Audible (W.D. Wash.)''' – Putative class action alleging expiring '''Audible credits''' violate Washington’s gift certificate law; litigation ongoing as of the research date.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-12-12 \|title=Hollis v. Audible, Inc. – Complaint (W.D. Wash.) \|url=https://www.classaction.org/media/hollis-v-audible-inc.pdf \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=ClassAction.org (PDF) \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250930230644/https://www.classaction.org/media/hollis-v-audible-inc.pdf \|archive-date=30 Sep 2025}}</ref>		*'''Hollis v. Audible (W.D. Wash.)''' – Putative class action alleging expiring '''Audible credits''' violate Washington’s gift certificate law; litigation ongoing as of the research date.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-12-12 \|title=Hollis v. Audible, Inc. – Complaint (W.D. Wash.) \|url=https://www.classaction.org/media/hollis-v-audible-inc.pdf \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=ClassAction.org (PDF) \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250930230644/https://www.classaction.org/media/hollis-v-audible-inc.pdf \|archive-date=30 Sep 2025}}</ref>
	*'''McKee v. Audible (C.D. Cal.)''' – Earlier class action addressing auto-renewal/credits and alleged unauthorized charges resolved by settlement approved in 2020.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2017 \|title=McKee v. Audible – Complaint (C.D. Cal.) \|url=https://www.classaction.org/media/mckee-v-audible.pdf \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=ClassAction.org (PDF) \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250325160650/https://www.classaction.org/media/mckee-v-audible.pdf \|archive-date=25 Mar 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2020-12-09 \|title=Grant McKee v. Audible, Inc. et al., Final Approval Order \|url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/california/cacdce/2%3A2017cv01941/672378/207/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://~~consumerrights~~.~~wiki~~/w/~~File~~:~~Grant_McKee_v~~.~~_Audible~~.pdf \|archive-date=2026-03-04 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Justia}}</ref>		*'''McKee v. Audible (C.D. Cal.)''' – Earlier class action addressing auto-renewal/credits and alleged unauthorized charges resolved by settlement approved in 2020.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2017 \|title=McKee v. Audible – Complaint (C.D. Cal.) \|url=https://www.classaction.org/media/mckee-v-audible.pdf \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=ClassAction.org (PDF) \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250325160650/https://www.classaction.org/media/mckee-v-audible.pdf \|archive-date=25 Mar 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2020-12-09 \|title=Grant McKee v. Audible, Inc. et al., Final Approval Order \|url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/california/cacdce/2%3A2017cv01941/672378/207/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260324170809if_/https://cases.justia.com/federal/district-courts/california/cacdce/2:2017cv01941/672378/207/0.pdf \|archive-date=2026-03-24 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Justia}}</ref>

	==Consumer response==		==Consumer response==

Marc84: /* References */ Added archive link.

2026-03-05T03:17:18Z

References: Added archive link.

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:17, 5 March 2026
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	*'''Golden Unicorn Enterprises & Big Dog Books v. Audible (S.D.N.Y.)''' – Contract and royalty accounting claims related to the “Great Listen Guarantee” were largely resolved in Audible’s favor by the district court in 2023.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-01-14 \|title=Golden Unicorn Enters. v. Audible, Inc. – Opinion \|url=https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/golden-unicorn-enters-v-1068772033 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=vLex \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250930230644/https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/golden-unicorn-enters-v-1068772033 \|archive-date=30 Sep 2025}}</ref>		*'''Golden Unicorn Enterprises & Big Dog Books v. Audible (S.D.N.Y.)''' – Contract and royalty accounting claims related to the “Great Listen Guarantee” were largely resolved in Audible’s favor by the district court in 2023.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-01-14 \|title=Golden Unicorn Enters. v. Audible, Inc. – Opinion \|url=https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/golden-unicorn-enters-v-1068772033 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=vLex \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250930230644/https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/golden-unicorn-enters-v-1068772033 \|archive-date=30 Sep 2025}}</ref>
	*'''Hollis v. Audible (W.D. Wash.)''' – Putative class action alleging expiring '''Audible credits''' violate Washington’s gift certificate law; litigation ongoing as of the research date.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-12-12 \|title=Hollis v. Audible, Inc. – Complaint (W.D. Wash.) \|url=https://www.classaction.org/media/hollis-v-audible-inc.pdf \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=ClassAction.org (PDF) \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250930230644/https://www.classaction.org/media/hollis-v-audible-inc.pdf \|archive-date=30 Sep 2025}}</ref>		*'''Hollis v. Audible (W.D. Wash.)''' – Putative class action alleging expiring '''Audible credits''' violate Washington’s gift certificate law; litigation ongoing as of the research date.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-12-12 \|title=Hollis v. Audible, Inc. – Complaint (W.D. Wash.) \|url=https://www.classaction.org/media/hollis-v-audible-inc.pdf \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=ClassAction.org (PDF) \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250930230644/https://www.classaction.org/media/hollis-v-audible-inc.pdf \|archive-date=30 Sep 2025}}</ref>
	*'''McKee v. Audible (C.D. Cal.)''' – Earlier class action addressing auto-renewal/credits and alleged unauthorized charges resolved by settlement approved in 2020.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2017 \|title=McKee v. Audible – Complaint (C.D. Cal.) \|url=https://www.classaction.org/media/mckee-v-audible.pdf \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=ClassAction.org (PDF) \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250325160650/https://www.classaction.org/media/mckee-v-audible.pdf \|archive-date=25 Mar 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2020-12-09 \|title=Grant McKee v. Audible, Inc. et al., Final Approval Order \|url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/california/cacdce/2%3A2017cv01941/672378/207/ \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Justia}}</ref>		*'''McKee v. Audible (C.D. Cal.)''' – Earlier class action addressing auto-renewal/credits and alleged unauthorized charges resolved by settlement approved in 2020.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2017 \|title=McKee v. Audible – Complaint (C.D. Cal.) \|url=https://www.classaction.org/media/mckee-v-audible.pdf \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=ClassAction.org (PDF) \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250325160650/https://www.classaction.org/media/mckee-v-audible.pdf \|archive-date=25 Mar 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2020-12-09 \|title=Grant McKee v. Audible, Inc. et al., Final Approval Order \|url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/california/cacdce/2%3A2017cv01941/672378/207/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://consumerrights.wiki/w/File:Grant_McKee_v._Audible.pdf \|archive-date=2026-03-04 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Justia}}</ref>

	==Consumer response==		==Consumer response==

Bananabot: Added archive URLs for 3 citation(s) using CRWCitationBot

2026-02-23T03:28:54Z

Added archive URLs for 3 citation(s) using CRWCitationBot

Banana: Added archive URLs for 27 citation(s) using CRWCitationBot

2026-02-16T00:00:00Z

Added archive URLs for 27 citation(s) using CRWCitationBot

Show changes

Bythmusters: Cleaning up "•" that I left in cargo

2026-01-08T03:06:44Z

Cleaning up "•" that I left in cargo

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	\|Product=Audible		\|Product=Audible
	\|ArticleType=Incident		\|ArticleType=Incident
	\|Type=Digital ~~ownership •~~ Licensing ~~controversy~~		\|Type=Digital Ownership, Licensing Controversy
	\|Description=Audible allegedly misleads consumers into thinking they own the audiobooks they purchase		\|Description=Audible allegedly misleads consumers into thinking they own the audiobooks they purchase.
	}}		}}

Neon: added a few archive links

2026-01-05T19:02:37Z

added a few archive links

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	==Background==		==Background==
	[[Audible]] markets audiobooks for “purchase,” yet its legal terms state that consumers receive a '''limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license''' to access content rather than full ownership, and that continued access and re-download are not guaranteed.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2025-02-18 \|title=License Agreement \|url=https://www.audible.com/legal/license-agreement \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Audible.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2025-09-10 \|title=Audible Service Conditions of Use \|url=https://www.audible.com/legal/conditions-of-use \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Audible.com \|quote=As a convenience to you we may continue to make your purchased content available for re-download… we do not guarantee that such content will be available for re-download.}}</ref>		[[Audible]] markets audiobooks for “purchase,” yet its legal terms state that consumers receive a '''limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license''' to access content rather than full ownership, and that continued access and re-download are not guaranteed.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2025-02-18 \|title=License Agreement \|url=https://www.audible.com/legal/license-agreement \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250224185607/https://www.audible.com/legal/license-agreement \|archive-date=2025-02-24 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Audible.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2025-09-10 \|title=Audible Service Conditions of Use \|url=https://www.audible.com/legal/conditions-of-use \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250913172910/https://www.audible.com/legal/conditions-of-use \|archive-date=2025-09-13 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Audible.com \|quote=As a convenience to you we may continue to make your purchased content available for re-download… we do not guarantee that such content will be available for re-download.}}</ref>

	In '''California''', the '''Digital Property Rights Transparency Law''' (AB 2426) amended the state’s False Advertising Law by adding '''Business & Professions Code § 17500.6'''. Effective '''January 1, 2025''', sellers may not use terms a reasonable consumer associates with '''unrestricted ownership''' (e.g., “buy,” “purchase”) for digital goods '''unless''' they provide a clear pre-transaction disclosure that the consumer is receiving a license (with a link to the full terms), or obtain the consumer’s affirmative acknowledgment of license restrictions at the time of purchase.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-09-24 \|title=AB 2426 (Irwin) – Chapter 513, Statutes of 2024 \|url=https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB2426/id/2927156 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=LegiScan}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-04-02 \|title=Assembly Committee on Privacy & Consumer Protection: Analysis of AB 2426 (Irwin) \|url=https://apcp.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2024-03/ab-2426-irwin-apcp-analysis.pdf \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=California State Assembly}}</ref>		In '''California''', the '''Digital Property Rights Transparency Law''' (AB 2426) amended the state’s False Advertising Law by adding '''Business & Professions Code § 17500.6'''. Effective '''January 1, 2025''', sellers may not use terms a reasonable consumer associates with '''unrestricted ownership''' (e.g., “buy,” “purchase”) for digital goods '''unless''' they provide a clear pre-transaction disclosure that the consumer is receiving a license (with a link to the full terms), or obtain the consumer’s affirmative acknowledgment of license restrictions at the time of purchase.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-09-24 \|title=AB 2426 (Irwin) – Chapter 513, Statutes of 2024 \|url=https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB2426/id/2927156 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=LegiScan}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-04-02 \|title=Assembly Committee on Privacy & Consumer Protection: Analysis of AB 2426 (Irwin) \|url=https://apcp.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2024-03/ab-2426-irwin-apcp-analysis.pdf \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250424182400/https://apcp.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2024-03/ab-2426-irwin-apcp-analysis.pdf \|archive-date=2025-04-24 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=California State Assembly}}</ref>

	The '''Federal Trade Commission (FTC)''' has separately warned that platforms must be clear about what consumers actually receive when offered digital products described as “bought” or “purchased,” emphasizing that claims implying ownership when only a license is provided can be deceptive.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-08-01 \|title=Can’t lose what you never had: Claims about digital ownership \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/08/cant-lose-what-you-never-had-claims-about-digital-ownership-creation-age-generative-ai \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Federal Trade Commission}}</ref>		The '''Federal Trade Commission (FTC)''' has separately warned that platforms must be clear about what consumers actually receive when offered digital products described as “bought” or “purchased,” emphasizing that claims implying ownership when only a license is provided can be deceptive.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-08-01 \|title=Can’t lose what you never had: Claims about digital ownership \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/08/cant-lose-what-you-never-had-claims-about-digital-ownership-creation-age-generative-ai \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204095939/https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/08/cant-lose-what-you-never-had-claims-about-digital-ownership-creation-age-generative-ai \|archive-date=2023-12-04 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Federal Trade Commission}}</ref>

	Courts have also recognized that many digital transactions confer '''licenses''' rather than ownership, limiting first-sale and resale rights (e.g., ''Vernor v. Autodesk'', 9th Cir. 2010; ''Capitol Records v. ReDigi'', 2d Cir. 2018).<ref>{{cite web \|date=2010-09-10 \|title=Vernor v. Autodesk, Inc., 621 F.3d 1102 (9th Cir. 2010) \|url=https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2010/09/10/09-35969.pdf \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2018-12-12 \|title=Capitol Records, LLC v. ReDigi Inc., 910 F.3d 649 (2d Cir. 2018) \|url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca2/16-2321/16-2321-2018-12-12.html \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Justia}}</ref>		Courts have also recognized that many digital transactions confer '''licenses''' rather than ownership, limiting first-sale and resale rights (e.g., ''Vernor v. Autodesk'', 9th Cir. 2010; ''Capitol Records v. ReDigi'', 2d Cir. 2018).<ref>{{cite web \|date=2010-09-10 \|title=Vernor v. Autodesk, Inc., 621 F.3d 1102 (9th Cir. 2010) \|url=https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2010/09/10/09-35969.pdf \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250930230644/https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2010/09/10/09-35969.pdf \|archive-date=2025-09-30 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2018-12-12 \|title=Capitol Records, LLC v. ReDigi Inc., 910 F.3d 649 (2d Cir. 2018) \|url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca2/16-2321/16-2321-2018-12-12.html \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Justia}}</ref>

	==Consumer impact and related incidents==		==Consumer impact and related incidents==
	Consumers have reported '''purchased titles becoming difficult to find''' or '''unavailable''' in their libraries when licensing or catalog changes occur. Audible’s own help pages acknowledge “missing title” scenarios and provide steps to locate archived or hidden items.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Title is missing \|url=https://help.audible.com/s/article/title-is-missing?language=en_US \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Audible Help Center}}</ref> Independent accounts describe older purchases not appearing in in-app search results after delisting, contributing to confusion when the storefront uses “buy” language but the underlying transaction grants a license.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-05-21 \|title=Audible and the strange case of the disappearing audiobooks \|url=https://mikefinnsfiction.com/2024/05/21/audible-and-the-strange-case-of-the-disappearing-audiobooks/ \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Mike Finn’s Fiction}}</ref>		Consumers have reported '''purchased titles becoming difficult to find''' or '''unavailable''' in their libraries when licensing or catalog changes occur. Audible’s own help pages acknowledge “missing title” scenarios and provide steps to locate archived or hidden items.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Title is missing \|url=https://help.audible.com/s/article/title-is-missing?language=en_US \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Audible Help Center}}</ref> Independent accounts describe older purchases not appearing in in-app search results after delisting, contributing to confusion when the storefront uses “buy” language but the underlying transaction grants a license.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-05-21 \|title=Audible and the strange case of the disappearing audiobooks \|url=https://mikefinnsfiction.com/2024/05/21/audible-and-the-strange-case-of-the-disappearing-audiobooks/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525125149/https://mikefinnsfiction.com/2024/05/21/audible-and-the-strange-case-of-the-disappearing-audiobooks/ \|archive-date=2024-05-25 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Mike Finn’s Fiction}}</ref>

	This ambiguity reflects a wider '''industry pattern'''. For example, '''Valve/Steam''' added a prominent shopping-cart notice in 2024 stating that a purchase of a digital product '''grants a license''', not ownership.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-10-11 \|title=Steam now explicitly states you’re not buying the game, just a license \|url=https://www.techspot.com/news/105108-steam-now-explicitly-states-youre-not-buying-game.html \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=TechSpot}}</ref> '''Sony PlayStation''' initially announced it would remove previously purchased '''Discovery''' TV content due to licensing, then reversed course after public backlash, illustrating that access to “purchased” media may depend on ongoing licensing arrangements outside consumers’ control.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-12-21 \|title=PlayStation Video Content (US) legal notice \|url=https://www.playstation.com/en-us/legal/psvideocontent/ \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=PlayStation}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-12-21 \|title=Discovery shows you’ve bought on PlayStation actually won’t be taken away \|url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/21/24011168/sony-playstation-discovery-shows-not-removed \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=The Verge}}</ref> In gaming, '''Ubisoft''' shut down servers for ''The Crew'' (2014), leaving purchasers unable to play and sparking litigation and preservation debates about digital ownership expectations.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-04-16 \|title=Ubisoft is stripping people’s licences for The Crew \|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/racing/ubisoft-is-stripping-peoples-licences-for-the-crew-weeks-after-its-shutdown-nearly-squandering-hopes-of-private-servers-and-acting-as-a-stark-reminder-of-how-volatile-digital-ownership-is/ \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=PC Gamer}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-11-04 \|title=Ubisoft sued for shutting down The Crew \|url=https://www.polygon.com/gaming/476979/ubisoft-the-crew-shut-down-lawsuit-class-action \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Polygon}}</ref>		This ambiguity reflects a wider '''industry pattern'''. For example, '''Valve/Steam''' added a prominent shopping-cart notice in 2024 stating that a purchase of a digital product '''grants a license''', not ownership.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-10-11 \|title=Steam now explicitly states you’re not buying the game, just a license \|url=https://www.techspot.com/news/105108-steam-now-explicitly-states-youre-not-buying-game.html \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=TechSpot}}</ref> '''Sony PlayStation''' initially announced it would remove previously purchased '''Discovery''' TV content due to licensing, then reversed course after public backlash, illustrating that access to “purchased” media may depend on ongoing licensing arrangements outside consumers’ control.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-12-21 \|title=PlayStation Video Content (US) legal notice \|url=https://www.playstation.com/en-us/legal/psvideocontent/ \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=PlayStation}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-12-21 \|title=Discovery shows you’ve bought on PlayStation actually won’t be taken away \|url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/21/24011168/sony-playstation-discovery-shows-not-removed \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=The Verge}}</ref> In gaming, '''Ubisoft''' shut down servers for ''The Crew'' (2014), leaving purchasers unable to play and sparking litigation and preservation debates about digital ownership expectations.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-04-16 \|title=Ubisoft is stripping people’s licences for The Crew \|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/racing/ubisoft-is-stripping-peoples-licences-for-the-crew-weeks-after-its-shutdown-nearly-squandering-hopes-of-private-servers-and-acting-as-a-stark-reminder-of-how-volatile-digital-ownership-is/ \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=PC Gamer}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-11-04 \|title=Ubisoft sued for shutting down The Crew \|url=https://www.polygon.com/gaming/476979/ubisoft-the-crew-shut-down-lawsuit-class-action \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Polygon}}</ref>

Bythmusters: Changed company listed in cargo so this cargo has a link to Amazon and Audible separately

2025-12-04T20:45:51Z

Changed company listed in cargo so this cargo has a link to Amazon and Audible separately

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:45, 4 December 2025
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	{{IncidentCargo		{{IncidentCargo
	\|Company=~~Audible (~~Amazon)		\|Company=Amazon
	\|StartDate=2025-08-28		\|StartDate=2025-08-28
	\|EndDate=		\|EndDate=

Bythmusters: Fixed invalid cargo syntax

2025-12-04T20:44:23Z

Fixed invalid cargo syntax

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:44, 4 December 2025
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	{{StubNotice}}		{{StubNotice}}

	{{IncidentCargo\|~~title=Audible allegedly misleads consumers into thinking they own the audiobooks they purchase\|company~~=Audible (Amazon)\|~~date~~=2025-08-28\|~~location~~=~~United States~~\|~~type~~=Digital ownership ~~/ licensing~~ controversy}}		{{IncidentCargo
			\|Company=Audible (Amazon)
			\|StartDate=2025-08-28
			\|EndDate=
			\|Status=Pending Resolution
			\|ProductLine=Audible
			\|Product=Audible
			\|ArticleType=Incident
			\|Type=Digital ownership • Licensing controversy
			\|Description=Audible allegedly misleads consumers into thinking they own the audiobooks they purchase
			}}

	==Background==		==Background==

Mr Pollo at 00:59, 1 October 2025

2025-10-01T00:59:33Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:59, 1 October 2025
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	Consumers have reported '''purchased titles becoming difficult to find''' or '''unavailable''' in their libraries when licensing or catalog changes occur. Audible’s own help pages acknowledge “missing title” scenarios and provide steps to locate archived or hidden items.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Title is missing \|url=https://help.audible.com/s/article/title-is-missing?language=en_US \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Audible Help Center}}</ref> Independent accounts describe older purchases not appearing in in-app search results after delisting, contributing to confusion when the storefront uses “buy” language but the underlying transaction grants a license.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-05-21 \|title=Audible and the strange case of the disappearing audiobooks \|url=https://mikefinnsfiction.com/2024/05/21/audible-and-the-strange-case-of-the-disappearing-audiobooks/ \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Mike Finn’s Fiction}}</ref>		Consumers have reported '''purchased titles becoming difficult to find''' or '''unavailable''' in their libraries when licensing or catalog changes occur. Audible’s own help pages acknowledge “missing title” scenarios and provide steps to locate archived or hidden items.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Title is missing \|url=https://help.audible.com/s/article/title-is-missing?language=en_US \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Audible Help Center}}</ref> Independent accounts describe older purchases not appearing in in-app search results after delisting, contributing to confusion when the storefront uses “buy” language but the underlying transaction grants a license.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-05-21 \|title=Audible and the strange case of the disappearing audiobooks \|url=https://mikefinnsfiction.com/2024/05/21/audible-and-the-strange-case-of-the-disappearing-audiobooks/ \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Mike Finn’s Fiction}}</ref>

	This ambiguity reflects a wider '''industry pattern'''. For example, '''Valve/Steam''' added a prominent shopping-cart notice in 2024 stating that a purchase of a digital product '''grants a license''', not ownership.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-10-11 \|title=Steam now explicitly states you’re not buying the game, just a license \|url=https://www.techspot.com/news/105108-steam-now-explicitly-states-youre-not-buying-game.html \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=TechSpot}}</ref> '''Sony PlayStation''' initially announced it would remove previously purchased '''Discovery''' TV content due to licensing, then reversed course after public backlash, illustrating that access to “purchased” media may depend on ongoing licensing arrangements outside consumers’ control.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-12 \|title=PlayStation Video Content (US) legal notice \|url=https://www.playstation.com/en-us/legal/psvideocontent/ \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=PlayStation}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-12-21 \|title=Discovery shows you’ve bought on PlayStation actually won’t be taken away \|url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/21/24011168/sony-playstation-discovery-shows-not-removed \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=The Verge}}</ref> In gaming, '''Ubisoft''' shut down servers for ''The Crew'' (2014), leaving purchasers unable to play and sparking litigation and preservation debates about digital ownership expectations.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-04-16 \|title=Ubisoft is stripping people’s licences for The Crew \|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/racing/ubisoft-is-stripping-peoples-licences-for-the-crew-weeks-after-its-shutdown-nearly-squandering-hopes-of-private-servers-and-acting-as-a-stark-reminder-of-how-volatile-digital-ownership-is/ \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=PC Gamer}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-11-04 \|title=Ubisoft sued for shutting down The Crew \|url=https://www.polygon.com/gaming/476979/ubisoft-the-crew-shut-down-lawsuit-class-action \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Polygon}}</ref>		This ambiguity reflects a wider '''industry pattern'''. For example, '''Valve/Steam''' added a prominent shopping-cart notice in 2024 stating that a purchase of a digital product '''grants a license''', not ownership.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-10-11 \|title=Steam now explicitly states you’re not buying the game, just a license \|url=https://www.techspot.com/news/105108-steam-now-explicitly-states-youre-not-buying-game.html \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=TechSpot}}</ref> '''Sony PlayStation''' initially announced it would remove previously purchased '''Discovery''' TV content due to licensing, then reversed course after public backlash, illustrating that access to “purchased” media may depend on ongoing licensing arrangements outside consumers’ control.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-12-21 \|title=PlayStation Video Content (US) legal notice \|url=https://www.playstation.com/en-us/legal/psvideocontent/ \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=PlayStation}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-12-21 \|title=Discovery shows you’ve bought on PlayStation actually won’t be taken away \|url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/21/24011168/sony-playstation-discovery-shows-not-removed \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=The Verge}}</ref> In gaming, '''Ubisoft''' shut down servers for ''The Crew'' (2014), leaving purchasers unable to play and sparking litigation and preservation debates about digital ownership expectations.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-04-16 \|title=Ubisoft is stripping people’s licences for The Crew \|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/racing/ubisoft-is-stripping-peoples-licences-for-the-crew-weeks-after-its-shutdown-nearly-squandering-hopes-of-private-servers-and-acting-as-a-stark-reminder-of-how-volatile-digital-ownership-is/ \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=PC Gamer}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-11-04 \|title=Ubisoft sued for shutting down The Crew \|url=https://www.polygon.com/gaming/476979/ubisoft-the-crew-shut-down-lawsuit-class-action \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Polygon}}</ref>

	==Timeline==		==Timeline==

Mr Pollo at 00:58, 1 October 2025

2025-10-01T00:58:21Z

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	{{StubNotice}}		{{StubNotice}}

			{{IncidentCargo\|title=Audible allegedly misleads consumers into thinking they own the audiobooks they purchase\|company=Audible (Amazon)\|date=2025-08-28\|location=United States\|type=Digital ownership / licensing controversy}}
	{{IncidentCargo\|title=Audible allegedly misleads consumers into thinking they own the audiobooks they purchase\|company=Audible (Amazon)\|date=2025-08-28\|~~}}<nowiki>~~location=United States\|type=Digital ownership / licensing controversy}}~~</nowiki>~~

	==Background==		==Background==
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	==References==		==References==
	{{reflist}}		{{reflist}}
			[[Category:Audible]]
			[[Category:Lawsuits]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:02, 5 January 2026
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	==Background==		==Background==
	[[Audible]] markets audiobooks for “purchase,” yet its legal terms state that consumers receive a '''limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license''' to access content rather than full ownership, and that continued access and re-download are not guaranteed.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2025-02-18 \|title=License Agreement \|url=https://www.audible.com/legal/license-agreement \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Audible.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2025-09-10 \|title=Audible Service Conditions of Use \|url=https://www.audible.com/legal/conditions-of-use \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Audible.com \|quote=As a convenience to you we may continue to make your purchased content available for re-download… we do not guarantee that such content will be available for re-download.}}</ref>		[[Audible]] markets audiobooks for “purchase,” yet its legal terms state that consumers receive a '''limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license''' to access content rather than full ownership, and that continued access and re-download are not guaranteed.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2025-02-18 \|title=License Agreement \|url=https://www.audible.com/legal/license-agreement \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250224185607/https://www.audible.com/legal/license-agreement \|archive-date=2025-02-24 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Audible.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2025-09-10 \|title=Audible Service Conditions of Use \|url=https://www.audible.com/legal/conditions-of-use \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250913172910/https://www.audible.com/legal/conditions-of-use \|archive-date=2025-09-13 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Audible.com \|quote=As a convenience to you we may continue to make your purchased content available for re-download… we do not guarantee that such content will be available for re-download.}}</ref>

	In '''California''', the '''Digital Property Rights Transparency Law''' (AB 2426) amended the state’s False Advertising Law by adding '''Business & Professions Code § 17500.6'''. Effective '''January 1, 2025''', sellers may not use terms a reasonable consumer associates with '''unrestricted ownership''' (e.g., “buy,” “purchase”) for digital goods '''unless''' they provide a clear pre-transaction disclosure that the consumer is receiving a license (with a link to the full terms), or obtain the consumer’s affirmative acknowledgment of license restrictions at the time of purchase.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-09-24 \|title=AB 2426 (Irwin) – Chapter 513, Statutes of 2024 \|url=https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB2426/id/2927156 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=LegiScan}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-04-02 \|title=Assembly Committee on Privacy & Consumer Protection: Analysis of AB 2426 (Irwin) \|url=https://apcp.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2024-03/ab-2426-irwin-apcp-analysis.pdf \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=California State Assembly}}</ref>		In '''California''', the '''Digital Property Rights Transparency Law''' (AB 2426) amended the state’s False Advertising Law by adding '''Business & Professions Code § 17500.6'''. Effective '''January 1, 2025''', sellers may not use terms a reasonable consumer associates with '''unrestricted ownership''' (e.g., “buy,” “purchase”) for digital goods '''unless''' they provide a clear pre-transaction disclosure that the consumer is receiving a license (with a link to the full terms), or obtain the consumer’s affirmative acknowledgment of license restrictions at the time of purchase.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-09-24 \|title=AB 2426 (Irwin) – Chapter 513, Statutes of 2024 \|url=https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB2426/id/2927156 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=LegiScan}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-04-02 \|title=Assembly Committee on Privacy & Consumer Protection: Analysis of AB 2426 (Irwin) \|url=https://apcp.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2024-03/ab-2426-irwin-apcp-analysis.pdf \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250424182400/https://apcp.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2024-03/ab-2426-irwin-apcp-analysis.pdf \|archive-date=2025-04-24 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=California State Assembly}}</ref>

	The '''Federal Trade Commission (FTC)''' has separately warned that platforms must be clear about what consumers actually receive when offered digital products described as “bought” or “purchased,” emphasizing that claims implying ownership when only a license is provided can be deceptive.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-08-01 \|title=Can’t lose what you never had: Claims about digital ownership \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/08/cant-lose-what-you-never-had-claims-about-digital-ownership-creation-age-generative-ai \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Federal Trade Commission}}</ref>		The '''Federal Trade Commission (FTC)''' has separately warned that platforms must be clear about what consumers actually receive when offered digital products described as “bought” or “purchased,” emphasizing that claims implying ownership when only a license is provided can be deceptive.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-08-01 \|title=Can’t lose what you never had: Claims about digital ownership \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/08/cant-lose-what-you-never-had-claims-about-digital-ownership-creation-age-generative-ai \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204095939/https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/08/cant-lose-what-you-never-had-claims-about-digital-ownership-creation-age-generative-ai \|archive-date=2023-12-04 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Federal Trade Commission}}</ref>

	Courts have also recognized that many digital transactions confer '''licenses''' rather than ownership, limiting first-sale and resale rights (e.g., ''Vernor v. Autodesk'', 9th Cir. 2010; ''Capitol Records v. ReDigi'', 2d Cir. 2018).<ref>{{cite web \|date=2010-09-10 \|title=Vernor v. Autodesk, Inc., 621 F.3d 1102 (9th Cir. 2010) \|url=https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2010/09/10/09-35969.pdf \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2018-12-12 \|title=Capitol Records, LLC v. ReDigi Inc., 910 F.3d 649 (2d Cir. 2018) \|url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca2/16-2321/16-2321-2018-12-12.html \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Justia}}</ref>		Courts have also recognized that many digital transactions confer '''licenses''' rather than ownership, limiting first-sale and resale rights (e.g., ''Vernor v. Autodesk'', 9th Cir. 2010; ''Capitol Records v. ReDigi'', 2d Cir. 2018).<ref>{{cite web \|date=2010-09-10 \|title=Vernor v. Autodesk, Inc., 621 F.3d 1102 (9th Cir. 2010) \|url=https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2010/09/10/09-35969.pdf \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250930230644/https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2010/09/10/09-35969.pdf \|archive-date=2025-09-30 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2018-12-12 \|title=Capitol Records, LLC v. ReDigi Inc., 910 F.3d 649 (2d Cir. 2018) \|url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca2/16-2321/16-2321-2018-12-12.html \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Justia}}</ref>

	==Consumer impact and related incidents==		==Consumer impact and related incidents==
	Consumers have reported '''purchased titles becoming difficult to find''' or '''unavailable''' in their libraries when licensing or catalog changes occur. Audible’s own help pages acknowledge “missing title” scenarios and provide steps to locate archived or hidden items.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Title is missing \|url=https://help.audible.com/s/article/title-is-missing?language=en_US \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Audible Help Center}}</ref> Independent accounts describe older purchases not appearing in in-app search results after delisting, contributing to confusion when the storefront uses “buy” language but the underlying transaction grants a license.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-05-21 \|title=Audible and the strange case of the disappearing audiobooks \|url=https://mikefinnsfiction.com/2024/05/21/audible-and-the-strange-case-of-the-disappearing-audiobooks/ \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Mike Finn’s Fiction}}</ref>		Consumers have reported '''purchased titles becoming difficult to find''' or '''unavailable''' in their libraries when licensing or catalog changes occur. Audible’s own help pages acknowledge “missing title” scenarios and provide steps to locate archived or hidden items.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Title is missing \|url=https://help.audible.com/s/article/title-is-missing?language=en_US \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Audible Help Center}}</ref> Independent accounts describe older purchases not appearing in in-app search results after delisting, contributing to confusion when the storefront uses “buy” language but the underlying transaction grants a license.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-05-21 \|title=Audible and the strange case of the disappearing audiobooks \|url=https://mikefinnsfiction.com/2024/05/21/audible-and-the-strange-case-of-the-disappearing-audiobooks/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525125149/https://mikefinnsfiction.com/2024/05/21/audible-and-the-strange-case-of-the-disappearing-audiobooks/ \|archive-date=2024-05-25 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Mike Finn’s Fiction}}</ref>

	This ambiguity reflects a wider '''industry pattern'''. For example, '''Valve/Steam''' added a prominent shopping-cart notice in 2024 stating that a purchase of a digital product '''grants a license''', not ownership.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-10-11 \|title=Steam now explicitly states you’re not buying the game, just a license \|url=https://www.techspot.com/news/105108-steam-now-explicitly-states-youre-not-buying-game.html \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=TechSpot}}</ref> '''Sony PlayStation''' initially announced it would remove previously purchased '''Discovery''' TV content due to licensing, then reversed course after public backlash, illustrating that access to “purchased” media may depend on ongoing licensing arrangements outside consumers’ control.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-12-21 \|title=PlayStation Video Content (US) legal notice \|url=https://www.playstation.com/en-us/legal/psvideocontent/ \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=PlayStation}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-12-21 \|title=Discovery shows you’ve bought on PlayStation actually won’t be taken away \|url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/21/24011168/sony-playstation-discovery-shows-not-removed \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=The Verge}}</ref> In gaming, '''Ubisoft''' shut down servers for ''The Crew'' (2014), leaving purchasers unable to play and sparking litigation and preservation debates about digital ownership expectations.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-04-16 \|title=Ubisoft is stripping people’s licences for The Crew \|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/racing/ubisoft-is-stripping-peoples-licences-for-the-crew-weeks-after-its-shutdown-nearly-squandering-hopes-of-private-servers-and-acting-as-a-stark-reminder-of-how-volatile-digital-ownership-is/ \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=PC Gamer}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-11-04 \|title=Ubisoft sued for shutting down The Crew \|url=https://www.polygon.com/gaming/476979/ubisoft-the-crew-shut-down-lawsuit-class-action \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Polygon}}</ref>		This ambiguity reflects a wider '''industry pattern'''. For example, '''Valve/Steam''' added a prominent shopping-cart notice in 2024 stating that a purchase of a digital product '''grants a license''', not ownership.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-10-11 \|title=Steam now explicitly states you’re not buying the game, just a license \|url=https://www.techspot.com/news/105108-steam-now-explicitly-states-youre-not-buying-game.html \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=TechSpot}}</ref> '''Sony PlayStation''' initially announced it would remove previously purchased '''Discovery''' TV content due to licensing, then reversed course after public backlash, illustrating that access to “purchased” media may depend on ongoing licensing arrangements outside consumers’ control.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-12-21 \|title=PlayStation Video Content (US) legal notice \|url=https://www.playstation.com/en-us/legal/psvideocontent/ \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=PlayStation}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-12-21 \|title=Discovery shows you’ve bought on PlayStation actually won’t be taken away \|url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/21/24011168/sony-playstation-discovery-shows-not-removed \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=The Verge}}</ref> In gaming, '''Ubisoft''' shut down servers for ''The Crew'' (2014), leaving purchasers unable to play and sparking litigation and preservation debates about digital ownership expectations.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-04-16 \|title=Ubisoft is stripping people’s licences for The Crew \|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/racing/ubisoft-is-stripping-peoples-licences-for-the-crew-weeks-after-its-shutdown-nearly-squandering-hopes-of-private-servers-and-acting-as-a-stark-reminder-of-how-volatile-digital-ownership-is/ \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=PC Gamer}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-11-04 \|title=Ubisoft sued for shutting down The Crew \|url=https://www.polygon.com/gaming/476979/ubisoft-the-crew-shut-down-lawsuit-class-action \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Polygon}}</ref>

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:28, 23 February 2026
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	[[Audible]] markets audiobooks for “purchase,” yet its legal terms state that consumers receive a '''limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license''' to access content rather than full ownership, and that continued access and re-download are not guaranteed.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2025-02-18 \|title=License Agreement \|url=https://www.audible.com/legal/license-agreement \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250224185607/https://www.audible.com/legal/license-agreement \|archive-date=2025-02-24 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Audible.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2025-09-10 \|title=Audible Service Conditions of Use \|url=https://www.audible.com/legal/conditions-of-use \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250913172910/https://www.audible.com/legal/conditions-of-use \|archive-date=2025-09-13 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Audible.com \|quote=As a convenience to you we may continue to make your purchased content available for re-download… we do not guarantee that such content will be available for re-download.}}</ref>		[[Audible]] markets audiobooks for “purchase,” yet its legal terms state that consumers receive a '''limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license''' to access content rather than full ownership, and that continued access and re-download are not guaranteed.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2025-02-18 \|title=License Agreement \|url=https://www.audible.com/legal/license-agreement \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250224185607/https://www.audible.com/legal/license-agreement \|archive-date=2025-02-24 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Audible.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2025-09-10 \|title=Audible Service Conditions of Use \|url=https://www.audible.com/legal/conditions-of-use \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250913172910/https://www.audible.com/legal/conditions-of-use \|archive-date=2025-09-13 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Audible.com \|quote=As a convenience to you we may continue to make your purchased content available for re-download… we do not guarantee that such content will be available for re-download.}}</ref>

	In '''California''', the '''Digital Property Rights Transparency Law''' (AB 2426) amended the state’s False Advertising Law by adding '''Business & Professions Code § 17500.6'''. Effective '''January 1, 2025''', sellers may not use terms a reasonable consumer associates with '''unrestricted ownership''' (e.g., “buy,” “purchase”) for digital goods '''unless''' they provide a clear pre-transaction disclosure that the consumer is receiving a license (with a link to the full terms), or obtain the consumer’s affirmative acknowledgment of license restrictions at the time of purchase.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-09-24 \|title=AB 2426 (Irwin) – Chapter 513, Statutes of 2024 \|url=https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB2426/id/2927156 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=LegiScan}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-04-02 \|title=Assembly Committee on Privacy & Consumer Protection: Analysis of AB 2426 (Irwin) \|url=https://apcp.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2024-03/ab-2426-irwin-apcp-analysis.pdf \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250424182400/https://apcp.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2024-03/ab-2426-irwin-apcp-analysis.pdf \|archive-date=2025-04-24 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=California State Assembly}}</ref>		In '''California''', the '''Digital Property Rights Transparency Law''' (AB 2426) amended the state’s False Advertising Law by adding '''Business & Professions Code § 17500.6'''. Effective '''January 1, 2025''', sellers may not use terms a reasonable consumer associates with '''unrestricted ownership''' (e.g., “buy,” “purchase”) for digital goods '''unless''' they provide a clear pre-transaction disclosure that the consumer is receiving a license (with a link to the full terms), or obtain the consumer’s affirmative acknowledgment of license restrictions at the time of purchase.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-09-24 \|title=AB 2426 (Irwin) – Chapter 513, Statutes of 2024 \|url=https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB2426/id/2927156 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=LegiScan \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251129123017/https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB2426/id/2927156 \|archive-date=29 Nov 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-04-02 \|title=Assembly Committee on Privacy & Consumer Protection: Analysis of AB 2426 (Irwin) \|url=https://apcp.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2024-03/ab-2426-irwin-apcp-analysis.pdf \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250424182400/https://apcp.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2024-03/ab-2426-irwin-apcp-analysis.pdf \|archive-date=2025-04-24 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=California State Assembly}}</ref>

	The '''Federal Trade Commission (FTC)''' has separately warned that platforms must be clear about what consumers actually receive when offered digital products described as “bought” or “purchased,” emphasizing that claims implying ownership when only a license is provided can be deceptive.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-08-01 \|title=Can’t lose what you never had: Claims about digital ownership \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/08/cant-lose-what-you-never-had-claims-about-digital-ownership-creation-age-generative-ai \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204095939/https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/08/cant-lose-what-you-never-had-claims-about-digital-ownership-creation-age-generative-ai \|archive-date=2023-12-04 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Federal Trade Commission}}</ref>		The '''Federal Trade Commission (FTC)''' has separately warned that platforms must be clear about what consumers actually receive when offered digital products described as “bought” or “purchased,” emphasizing that claims implying ownership when only a license is provided can be deceptive.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-08-01 \|title=Can’t lose what you never had: Claims about digital ownership \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/08/cant-lose-what-you-never-had-claims-about-digital-ownership-creation-age-generative-ai \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204095939/https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/08/cant-lose-what-you-never-had-claims-about-digital-ownership-creation-age-generative-ai \|archive-date=2023-12-04 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Federal Trade Commission}}</ref>
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	*'''2018-12''' – ''Capitol Records v. ReDigi'' (2d Cir.) limits first-sale for digital music file transfers.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2018-12-12 \|title=Capitol Records v. ReDigi \|url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca2/16-2321/16-2321-2018-12-12.html \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Justia \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260201041138/https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca2/16-2321/16-2321-2018-12-12.html \|archive-date=1 Feb 2026}}</ref>		*'''2018-12''' – ''Capitol Records v. ReDigi'' (2d Cir.) limits first-sale for digital music file transfers.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2018-12-12 \|title=Capitol Records v. ReDigi \|url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca2/16-2321/16-2321-2018-12-12.html \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Justia \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260201041138/https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca2/16-2321/16-2321-2018-12-12.html \|archive-date=1 Feb 2026}}</ref>
	*'''2023-12''' – PlayStation announces, then reverses, removal of purchased '''Discovery''' TV content.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-12-21 \|title=Discovery shows won’t be removed \|url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/21/24011168/sony-playstation-discovery-shows-not-removed \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=The Verge \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251214065636/https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/21/24011168/sony-playstation-discovery-shows-not-removed \|archive-date=14 Dec 2025}}</ref>		*'''2023-12''' – PlayStation announces, then reverses, removal of purchased '''Discovery''' TV content.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2023-12-21 \|title=Discovery shows won’t be removed \|url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/21/24011168/sony-playstation-discovery-shows-not-removed \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=The Verge \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251214065636/https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/21/24011168/sony-playstation-discovery-shows-not-removed \|archive-date=14 Dec 2025}}</ref>
	*'''2024-09-24''' – California '''AB 2426''' is chaptered; effective '''2025-01-01'''.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-09-24 \|title=AB 2426 – Chaptered text \|url=https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB2426/id/2927156 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=LegiScan}}</ref>		*'''2024-09-24''' – California '''AB 2426''' is chaptered; effective '''2025-01-01'''.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-09-24 \|title=AB 2426 – Chaptered text \|url=https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB2426/id/2927156 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=LegiScan \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251129123017/https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB2426/id/2927156 \|archive-date=29 Nov 2025}}</ref>
	*'''2025-02-18''' – Audible updates its '''License Agreement''' (explicit license language remains).<ref>{{cite web \|date=2025-02-18 \|title=License Agreement \|url=https://www.audible.com/legal/license-agreement \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Audible.com \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260212143610/https://www.audible.com/legal/license-agreement \|archive-date=12 Feb 2026}}</ref>		*'''2025-02-18''' – Audible updates its '''License Agreement''' (explicit license language remains).<ref>{{cite web \|date=2025-02-18 \|title=License Agreement \|url=https://www.audible.com/legal/license-agreement \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Audible.com \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260212143610/https://www.audible.com/legal/license-agreement \|archive-date=12 Feb 2026}}</ref>
	*'''2025-08-28''' – '''Deitrich & Farrell v. Audible, Inc.''' filed in W.D. Wash., alleging violations of AB 2426 and California consumer laws.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2025-08-28 \|title=Deitrich & Farrell v. Audible, Inc. – Class Action Complaint \|url=https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.wawd.352061/gov.uscourts.wawd.352061.1.0.pdf \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=CourtListener (RECAP) \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250930230643/https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.wawd.352061/gov.uscourts.wawd.352061.1.0.pdf \|archive-date=30 Sep 2025}}</ref>		*'''2025-08-28''' – '''Deitrich & Farrell v. Audible, Inc.''' filed in W.D. Wash., alleging violations of AB 2426 and California consumer laws.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2025-08-28 \|title=Deitrich & Farrell v. Audible, Inc. – Class Action Complaint \|url=https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.wawd.352061/gov.uscourts.wawd.352061.1.0.pdf \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=CourtListener (RECAP) \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250930230643/https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.wawd.352061/gov.uscourts.wawd.352061.1.0.pdf \|archive-date=30 Sep 2025}}</ref>
Line 58:		Line 58:

	==Legal and regulatory context==		==Legal and regulatory context==
	California’s '''§ 17500.6''' targets the '''use of ownership language''' for revocable digital licenses and provides both government and private enforcement mechanisms. Separately, longstanding federal case law for digital media and software confirms that many transactions are licenses, not sales, which constrains consumers’ rights to resell, lend, or transfer digital goods compared to physical media.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-09-24 \|title=AB 2426 (Irwin) – Chapter 513, Statutes of 2024 \|url=https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB2426/id/2927156 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=LegiScan}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2010-09-10 \|title=Vernor v. Autodesk, Inc., 621 F.3d 1102 (9th Cir. 2010) \|url=https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2010/09/10/09-35969.pdf \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260103072904/https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2010/09/10/09-35969.pdf \|archive-date=3 Jan 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2018-12-12 \|title=Capitol Records, LLC v. ReDigi Inc., 910 F.3d 649 (2d Cir. 2018) \|url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca2/16-2321/16-2321-2018-12-12.html \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Justia \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260201041138/https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca2/16-2321/16-2321-2018-12-12.html \|archive-date=1 Feb 2026}}</ref> Some platforms have begun adding '''point-of-sale license notices''' (e.g., Steam), while others rely on terms-of-service documents and support pages for post-purchase issues.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-10-11 \|title=Steam cart disclosure clarifies licensing \|url=https://www.techspot.com/news/105108-steam-now-explicitly-states-youre-not-buying-game.html \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=TechSpot \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250930230643/https://www.techspot.com/news/105108-steam-now-explicitly-states-youre-not-buying-game.html \|archive-date=30 Sep 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|title=Google Play Books: Takedowns & removals \|url=https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/1062975?hl=en \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Google Help \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250930230644/https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/1062975?hl=en \|archive-date=30 Sep 2025}}</ref>		California’s '''§ 17500.6''' targets the '''use of ownership language''' for revocable digital licenses and provides both government and private enforcement mechanisms. Separately, longstanding federal case law for digital media and software confirms that many transactions are licenses, not sales, which constrains consumers’ rights to resell, lend, or transfer digital goods compared to physical media.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-09-24 \|title=AB 2426 (Irwin) – Chapter 513, Statutes of 2024 \|url=https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB2426/id/2927156 \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=LegiScan \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251129123017/https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB2426/id/2927156 \|archive-date=29 Nov 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2010-09-10 \|title=Vernor v. Autodesk, Inc., 621 F.3d 1102 (9th Cir. 2010) \|url=https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2010/09/10/09-35969.pdf \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260103072904/https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2010/09/10/09-35969.pdf \|archive-date=3 Jan 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|date=2018-12-12 \|title=Capitol Records, LLC v. ReDigi Inc., 910 F.3d 649 (2d Cir. 2018) \|url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca2/16-2321/16-2321-2018-12-12.html \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Justia \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260201041138/https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca2/16-2321/16-2321-2018-12-12.html \|archive-date=1 Feb 2026}}</ref> Some platforms have begun adding '''point-of-sale license notices''' (e.g., Steam), while others rely on terms-of-service documents and support pages for post-purchase issues.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2024-10-11 \|title=Steam cart disclosure clarifies licensing \|url=https://www.techspot.com/news/105108-steam-now-explicitly-states-youre-not-buying-game.html \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=TechSpot \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250930230643/https://www.techspot.com/news/105108-steam-now-explicitly-states-youre-not-buying-game.html \|archive-date=30 Sep 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|title=Google Play Books: Takedowns & removals \|url=https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/1062975?hl=en \|access-date=2025-09-29 \|website=Google Help \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250930230644/https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/1062975?hl=en \|archive-date=30 Sep 2025}}</ref>

	==See also==		==See also==