Funimation "Forever" content license revocation: Difference between revisions
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On April 2nd, 2024 [[wikipedia:Funimation|Funimation]], a paid media-streaming platform was shutdown as part of a [[wikipedia:Mergers_and_acquisitions|merger]] with another media-streaming platform known as [[Crunchyroll]].<ref name=":0">https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/22843839604500-Funimation-End-of-Services ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251209052704/https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/22843839604500-Funimation-End-of-Services Archived])</ref> This was a planned merger as a result of [[Sony]]'s acquisition of both companies. The retirement of Funimation also revoked licenses for and removed access to all previously purchased digital copies of Funimation content without an automatic refund or replacement.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
Sony finalized its acquisition of Crunchyroll in 2021 after an extended antitrust review by the US Department of Justice.<ref>https://www.wired.com/story/funimation-crunchyroll-big-anime-era-is-here/</ref><ref>https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/24/22349203/doj-crunchyroll-investigation-sony-att</ref> After a year of operations under Sony, On March 1st, 2022, an announcement was made informing users that the site would be consolidated into Crunchyroll as a part of the acquisition of Crunchyroll by Sony. <ref>https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/crunchyroll-adds-funimation-anime-sony-1235192876/</ref> | Sony finalized its acquisition of Crunchyroll in 2021 after an extended antitrust review by the US Department of Justice.<ref>https://www.wired.com/story/funimation-crunchyroll-big-anime-era-is-here/ ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251208142934/https://www.wired.com/story/funimation-crunchyroll-big-anime-era-is-here/ Archived])</ref><ref>https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/24/22349203/doj-crunchyroll-investigation-sony-att ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251204062322/https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/24/22349203/doj-crunchyroll-investigation-sony-att Archived])</ref> After a year of operations under Sony, On March 1st, 2022, an announcement was made informing users that the site would be consolidated into Crunchyroll as a part of the acquisition of Crunchyroll by Sony. <ref>https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/crunchyroll-adds-funimation-anime-sony-1235192876/ ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260215221608/https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/crunchyroll-adds-funimation-anime-sony-1235192876/ Archived])</ref> | ||
On February 7th, 2024, it was announced that Funimation would shut down and transition to Crunchyroll on April 2nd, 2024.<ref name=":1">https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/8/24065940/funimation-shutdown-crunchyroll-digital-library</ref><ref>https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-02-07/funimation-app-shuts-down-on-april-2-as-its-accounts-merge-with-crunchyroll/.207344</ref> Users were notified at that time that subscription prices would increase and users would permanently lose access to their digital library without any mention of a refund or replacement.<ref name=":1" /> Shortly afterwards, articles were published by major digital news outlets such as Ars Technica and | On February 7th, 2024, it was announced that Funimation would shut down and transition to Crunchyroll on April 2nd, 2024.<ref name=":1">https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/8/24065940/funimation-shutdown-crunchyroll-digital-library ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260120013929/https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/8/24065940/funimation-shutdown-crunchyroll-digital-library Archived])</ref><ref>https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-02-07/funimation-app-shuts-down-on-april-2-as-its-accounts-merge-with-crunchyroll/.207344 ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260130141433/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-02-07/funimation-app-shuts-down-on-april-2-as-its-accounts-merge-with-crunchyroll/.207344 Archived])</ref> Users were notified at that time that [[Subscription service|subscription]] prices would increase and users would permanently lose access to their digital library without any mention of a refund or replacement.<ref name=":1" /> Shortly afterwards, articles were published by major digital news outlets such as Ars Technica and The Verge, with both users and journalists remarking on the largely negative outcomes of this merger.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">https://arstechnica.com/culture/2024/02/funimation-dvds-included-forever-available-digital-copies-forever-ends-april-2/ ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260214204116/https://arstechnica.com/culture/2024/02/funimation-dvds-included-forever-available-digital-copies-forever-ends-april-2/ Archived])</ref> | ||
==''"Forever" Digital Content License Revocation''== | ==''"Forever" Digital Content License Revocation''== | ||
[[File:Funimation service update Emma Roth Verge.webp|alt=Crunchyroll's "service update" indicating the changes in price and the dates on which price changes would take effect. As published by Emma Roth in her The Verge article Funimation is shutting down — and taking your digital library with it.|right|frameless|741x741px]] | [[File:Funimation service update Emma Roth Verge.webp|alt=Crunchyroll's "service update" indicating the changes in price and the dates on which price changes would take effect. As published by Emma Roth in her The Verge article Funimation is shutting down — and taking your digital library with it.|right|frameless|741x741px]] | ||
On April 2nd, 2024 Funimation was shut down. Users permanently lost access to any digital content they had purchased from Funimation or redeemed through a code provided with a physical blu-ray or DVD product - content that had previously been advertised to users as being available "forever." <ref>https://www.cbr.com/funimation-shut-down-forever-digital-copies-fooled/</ref> Users were notified in advance that | On April 2nd, 2024 Funimation was shut down. Users permanently lost access to any digital content they had purchased from Funimation or redeemed through a code provided with a physical blu-ray or DVD product - content that had previously been advertised to users as being available "forever."<ref>https://www.cbr.com/funimation-shut-down-forever-digital-copies-fooled/ ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251004103415/https://www.cbr.com/funimation-shut-down-forever-digital-copies-fooled/ Archived])</ref> Users were notified in advance that in order to continue streaming content, users would have to sign up for a new subscription tier with Crunchyroll or let their subscription with Funimation automatically transition into a new, more expensive subscription with Crunchyroll. Notably absent from the notification, was any indication that existing digital content that had been purchased would be inaccessible in Crunchyroll. | ||
===Funimation's response=== | ===Funimation's response=== | ||
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That was a feature that was built into the Funimation platform. And as we look at usage of that and the number of people that were redeeming those and using them, it was just not a feature that was available in Crunchyroll and isn’t in our road map. | That was a feature that was built into the Funimation platform. And as we look at usage of that and the number of people that were redeeming those and using them, it was just not a feature that was available in Crunchyroll and isn’t in our road map. | ||
And so as we announced the sunset of Funimation, the users that had bought those physical home videos will not be able to have access to the digital copies on the Crunchyroll service. I will say these are customers that we value a lot, and we are working really hard directly with each one of them to ensure that they have an appropriate value for what they got in the digital copy initially.<ref>https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/26/24081180/crunchyroll-president-purini-anime-funimation-shutdown-sony-merger-decoder-interview</ref></blockquote>Some users reported that they were able to get 3 months of Crunchyroll premium for free if they submitted a ticket.<ref name=":3">https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/26/24080637/funimation-shut-down-crunchyroll-digital-library-compensation#comments</ref> | And so as we announced the sunset of Funimation, the users that had bought those physical home videos will not be able to have access to the digital copies on the Crunchyroll service. I will say these are customers that we value a lot, and we are working really hard directly with each one of them to ensure that they have an appropriate value for what they got in the digital copy initially.<ref>https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/26/24081180/crunchyroll-president-purini-anime-funimation-shutdown-sony-merger-decoder-interview ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260202045519/https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/26/24081180/crunchyroll-president-purini-anime-funimation-shutdown-sony-merger-decoder-interview Archived])</ref></blockquote>Some users reported that they were able to get 3 months of Crunchyroll premium for free if they submitted a ticket.<ref name=":3">https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/26/24080637/funimation-shut-down-crunchyroll-digital-library-compensation#comments ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260219151154/https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/26/24080637/funimation-shut-down-crunchyroll-digital-library-compensation Archived])</ref> | ||
==Consumer impact== | ==Consumer impact== | ||
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==Consumer response== | ==Consumer response== | ||
Generally, users were outspoken against this, with many popular news outlets creating articles about the monopolistic and anti-consumer actions that were a result of the merger.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /><ref group="Video References">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAwaV7B2Hwo</ref> | Generally, users were outspoken against this, with many popular news outlets creating articles about the monopolistic and anti-consumer actions that were a result of the merger.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /><ref group="Video References">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAwaV7B2Hwo ([https://preservetube.com/watch?v=TAwaV7B2Hwo Archived])</ref> | ||
== See also == | |||
* [[Post-purchase EULA modification]] | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||