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{{IncidentCargo
{{IncidentCargo
|Company=Sony
|Company=Sony
|StartDate=2022-07-08
|StartDate=2022-08-31
|EndDate=2023-12-21
|EndDate=
|Status=Resolved
|Status=Active
|ProductLine=
|ProductLine=
|Product=Playstation Video
|Product=PlayStation Video
|ArticleType=Service
|ArticleType=Service
|Type=Ownership, Terms of Service
|Type=Ownership, Terms of Service
|Description=Sony was planning to remove purchased Discovery TV shows from user's libraries due to licensing issues, but later updated their licensing agreements.
|Description=Sony removes purchased movies & TV from PlayStation libraries when content licenses expire; 551 StudioCanal titles set for removal September 1, 2026
}}
}}
'''[[Sony]]''' initially announced that it would remove purchased Discovery TV shows from [[PlayStation]] users' libraries due to licensing issues:<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Discovery Entitlements Affected Titles |url=https://www.playstation.com/en-us/legal/psvideocontent/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101095355/https://www.playstation.com/en-us/legal/psvideocontent/ |archive-date=1 Jan 2024 |access-date=15 Mar 2025 |website=[[PlayStation]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=PlayStation Will Delete Purchased Discovery Shows |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/06/technology/sony-playstation-discovery-shows-removal.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207004027/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/06/technology/sony-playstation-discovery-shows-removal.html |archive-date=7 Dec 2023 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1 Dec 2025 |title=Playstation Video Content (US) |url=https://www.playstation.com/en-us/legal/psvideocontent/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231201155935/https://www.playstation.com/en-us/legal/psvideocontent/ |archive-date=1 Dec 2023}}</ref>
'''[[Sony]]''' has deleted movies & television shows that customers bought through the [[PlayStation]] Store, & has scheduled the deletion of hundreds more once its license to that content ends.<ref name="verge" /><ref name="vgc2026" /> The most recent notice came in June 2026, when Sony told PlayStation users in the United Kingdom & Europe that on September 1, 2026 it would remove 551 previously purchased StudioCanal movies & TV titles from their video libraries, with no refund.<ref name="notebookcheck" /><ref name="ign" /> PlayStation's network terms state that use of words like ''purchase'' or ''buy'' ''does not mean or imply any transfer of ownership'' of the content, & that everything bought through the store is licensed on a ''non-exclusive and revocable basis''.<ref name="psntos" />


==Ownership concerns regarding digital media==
==Background==
Unlike physical media, digital content is often subject to licensing agreements that can change over time. This is not the first time PlayStation has removed content; in 2022, it removed StudioCanal films and TV shows in Germany and Austria due to licensing disputes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Porter |first=John |date=8 Jul 2022 |title=PlayStation Store removes purchased movies from libraries after service shutdown |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/8/23199861/playstation-store-film-tv-show-removed-austria-germany-studiocanal |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220708090853/https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/8/23199861/playstation-store-film-tv-show-removed-austria-germany-studiocanal |archive-date=8 Jul 2022 |access-date=15 Mar 2025 |website=The Verge}}</ref> These actions raise questions about the permanence of digital purchases and whether consumers truly "own" the content they buy. PlayStation's terms of service explicitly state that access to purchased content is contingent on ongoing licensing agreements:<ref>{{Cite web |title=PLAYSTATION NETWORK TERMS OF SERVICE AND USER AGREEMENT |url=https://www.playstation.com/en-us/legal/psn-terms-of-service/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250326201842/https://www.playstation.com/en-us/legal/psn-terms-of-service/ |archive-date=26 Mar 2025 |access-date=15 Mar 2025 |website=[[PlayStation]]}}</ref><blockquote>'''10.2.''' Except as stated in this Agreement, all Content provided through PSN is licensed on a non-exclusive and revocable basis to you for your personal, private, non-transferable, non-commercial, limited use on a limited number of PlayStation Devices or other devices in the country in which your Account is registered.</blockquote>Every transaction on the PlayStation Store is, in reality, the acquisition of a license that grants temporary and revocable access to content, rather than a permanent transfer of ownership. The core issue lies in the use of the term 'purchase,' which misleadingly implies full ownership, when in fact, users are only granted conditional access to content that can be revoked at any time due to licensing agreements or other restrictions.
Sony stopped selling movies & TV shows on the PlayStation Store on August 31, 2021.<ref name="beyondgames" /> It does not own the films & shows it sold through the store; it licenses them from the studios that produce them, & has said it holds no ownership of that content.<ref name="gamesindustry" />


==Sony's reversal==
==September 2026 StudioCanal removal==
Due to consumer backlash, Sony reversed its decision to remove over 1,300 Discovery shows following an updated agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery, which grants users access to the content for at least an additional 30 months:<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dring |first=Christopher |date=21 Dec 2023 |title=PlayStation will not delete Discovery TV shows after all |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/playstation-will-not-delete-discovery-tv-shows-after-all |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231221185246/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/playstation-will-not-delete-discovery-tv-shows-after-all |archive-date=21 Dec 2023 |access-date=15 Mar 2025 |website=[[Games Industry.biz]]}}</ref><blockquote>Due to updated licensing arrangements, the Discovery content removal planned for December 31, 2023 is no longer occurring. We appreciate your ongoing support and feedback.</blockquote>
In June 2026, Sony notified PlayStation users in the United Kingdom & Europe that on September 1, 2026 it would remove every StudioCanal movie & TV show they had purchased from their video libraries.<ref name="notebookcheck" /><ref name="vgc2026" /> The notice became public after an X user, @somatyk, posted the message PlayStation had sent; Kotaku & other outlets then reported it.<ref name="kotaku" /> The message read:
<blockquote>''Due to our content licensing agreements, you will no longer be able to access your previously purchased content from Studio Canal, and it will be removed from your video library.''</blockquote><ref name="pslifestyle" />
[[File:PlayStation-Store-StudioCanal-removal-notice-2026.png|thumb|center|upright=1.0|The PlayStation Store notice to United Kingdom and Europe accounts states that previously purchased Studio Canal content ''will be removed from your video library'' as of September 1, 2026.<ref name="notebookcheck" />]]
The list Sony posted on the PlayStation website covers 551 titles.<ref name="ign" /><ref name="notebookcheck" /><ref name="psvideo-uk" /> Affected films include Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Total Recall, Evil Dead, From Dusk Till Dawn & The Deer Hunter.<ref name="vgc2026" /><ref name="eurogamer2026" /> The removal does not extend to PlayStation libraries in the United States.<ref name="notebookcheck" /> Sony's notice made no mention of a refund or compensation.<ref name="vgc2026" /><ref name="pslifestyle" />
[[File:PlayStation-UK-StudioCanal-affected-titles-notice-2026.png|thumb|center|upright=2.6|Sony's United Kingdom legal page tells buyers they ''will no longer be able to access'' their previously purchased Studio Canal content, with removal set for September 1, 2026.<ref name="psvideo-uk" />]]
 
==Germany and Austria removal in 2022==
Four years earlier, PlayStation had removed previously purchased StudioCanal films & TV shows from the libraries of customers in Germany & Austria, with the deletion taking effect on August 31, 2022.<ref name="verge" /><ref name="eurogamer2022" /> The regional notice blamed Sony's ''evolving licensing agreements with content providers''.<ref name="eurogamer2022" /> It covered 314 titles in Germany & 137 in Austria.<ref name="beyondgames" /> The deletion came a year after Sony had assured buyers that their earlier purchases would stay accessible.<ref name="verge" />
 
==Discovery removal and reversal==
On December 6, 2023, the New York Times reported that purchased Discovery shows, among them MythBusters & Deadliest Catch, would be deleted from PlayStation libraries on December 31, 2023, with Sony citing its content licensing arrangements.<ref name="nyt" /> The plan reached more than 1,300 Discovery TV shows.<ref name="gamesindustry" /> The notice Sony posted on its PlayStation Store legal page read:
<blockquote>''As of 31 December 2023, due to our content licensing arrangements with content providers, you will no longer be able to watch any of your previously purchased Discovery content and the content will be removed from your video library. We sincerely thank you for your continued support.''</blockquote><ref name="psvideo-removal-2023" />
[[File:PlayStation-Discovery-removal-notice-2023.png|thumb|center|upright=2.6|Sony's PlayStation Store legal page on December 9, 2023, telling buyers that ''you will no longer be able to watch any of your previously purchased Discovery content''.<ref name="psvideo-removal-2023" />]]
 
After consumer backlash, Sony reversed course.<ref name="asmdc" /> On December 21, 2023, it said it had reached an updated agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery & would keep the shows available ''for at least the next 30 months''.<ref name="gamesindustry" /> The notice on its legal page was replaced with:
<blockquote>''Due to updated licensing arrangements, the Discovery content removal planned for December 31, 2023 is no longer occurring. We appreciate your ongoing support and feedback.''</blockquote><ref name="psvideo-us" />
[[File:PlayStation-Discovery-removal-reversal-notice-2023.png|thumb|center|upright=2.6|Sony's United States legal page states that the ''Discovery content removal planned for December 31, 2023 is no longer occurring''.<ref name="psvideo-us" />]]
PCMag's Emily Price wrote that the agreement guaranteed access only for a set period, & that PlayStation owners could still lose the content around 2027.<ref name="pcmag" />
 
=="Buy" button and the PlayStation Network terms==
The PlayStation Network [[Terms of service|Terms of Service]] govern what a customer receives when they buy a movie from the PlayStation Store, treating the transaction as a revocable license rather than a transfer of ownership.<ref name="psntos" /> Section 10.1 addresses the storefront language directly:
<blockquote>''Use of the terms "own," "ownership", "purchase," "sale," "sold," "sell," "rent" or "buy" in this Agreement or in connection with the Content does not mean or imply any transfer of ownership of any content, data or software or any intellectual property rights from SIE, its affiliates, or its licensors to any user or third party.''</blockquote><ref name="psntos" />
Section 10.2 sets out the license itself:
<blockquote>''Except as stated in this Agreement, all Content provided through PlayStation is licensed on a non-exclusive and revocable basis to you for your personal, private, non-transferable, non-commercial, limited use on a limited number of PlayStation Devices or other devices in the country in which your Account is registered.''</blockquote><ref name="psntos" />
[[File:PlayStation-Network-ToS-section-10-revocable-license.png|thumb|center|upright=2.8|Section 10.2 of the PlayStation Network Terms of Service states that all content provided through PlayStation is ''licensed on a non-exclusive and revocable basis''.<ref name="psntos" />]]
Reviewing the September 2026 removal, Notebookcheck called it a reminder of ''the risks of purchasing digital content''.<ref name="notebookcheck" />
 
==California Assembly Bill 2426==
California's Assembly Bill 2426 requires sellers of digital goods to tell buyers when a purchase is only a license.<ref name="ab2426" /> Governor Newsom signed it on September 24, 2024 as Chapter 513, adding Section 17500.6 to the state's Business and Professions Code.<ref name="ab2426" /><ref name="asmdc" /> It took effect on January 1, 2025.<ref name="gtlaw" /> The statute makes it unlawful to sell a digital good using ownership language without a disclosure:
<blockquote>''It shall be unlawful for a seller of a digital good to advertise or offer for sale a digital good to a purchaser with the terms "buy," "purchase," or any other term which a reasonable person would understand to confer an unrestricted ownership interest in the digital good, or alongside an option for a time-limited rental, unless either of the following occur:''</blockquote><ref name="ab2426" />
[[File:California-AB-2426-digital-goods-operative-clause.png|thumb|center|upright=2.8|California Assembly Bill 2426 provides that it shall be ''unlawful for a seller of a digital good'' to offer it for sale using terms such as buy or purchase unless the buyer is told the purchase is a license.<ref name="ab2426" />]]
A seller can comply only by getting the buyer's affirmative acknowledgment at each transaction that they are receiving a license, with the restrictions listed & a notice that access may be revoked, or by giving a clear & conspicuous statement that buying the good is a license, with a link to the full terms.<ref name="ab2426" /> The law defines a digital good to include digital movies, music, books, codes & games delivered electronically.<ref name="ab2426" /> According to an analysis by the law firm Greenberg Traurig, a violation can draw civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation under California's False Advertising Law & Unfair Competition Law.<ref name="gtlaw" />
 
The bill's author, Assembly member Jacqui Irwin, cited Sony's 2023 Discovery removal as an example of purchased digital media disappearing. A statement from her office when Newsom signed the bill read:
<blockquote>''Another instance saw Sony threaten to revoke access to Discovery TV shows in 2023, only to come to an agreement with Discovery on an updated licensing agreement following consumer outcry.''</blockquote><ref name="asmdc" />


==References==
==References==
<references />
<references>
<ref name="verge">{{Cite web |last=Porter |first=Jon |date=2022-07-08 |title=PlayStation Store removes purchased movies from libraries after service shutdown |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/8/23199861/playstation-store-film-tv-show-removed-austria-germany-studiocanal |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220708090853/https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/8/23199861/playstation-store-film-tv-show-removed-austria-germany-studiocanal |archive-date=2022-07-08 |access-date=2025-03-15 |website=The Verge}}</ref>
<ref name="vgc2026">{{Cite web |date=June 2026 |title=Sony is deleting over 550 purchased movies from PS5 users' digital libraries |url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/sony-is-deleting-over-550-purchased-movies-from-ps5-users-digital-libraries/ |access-date=2026-06-28 |website=Video Games Chronicle}}</ref>
<ref name="notebookcheck">{{Cite web |last=Fisher |first=Jacob |date=2026-06-28 |title=PlayStation to wipe 551 films from customers' accounts |url=https://www.notebookcheck.net/Playstation-to-wipe-551-films-from-customers-accounts.1330123.0.html |access-date=2026-06-28 |website=Notebookcheck}}</ref>
<ref name="ign">{{Cite web |last=Cripe |first=Michael |date=2026-06-27 |title=Sony to Delete Movies Owned by PlayStation Users, List Includes More Than 550 Digital Titles |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/sony-to-delete-movies-owned-by-playstation-users-list-includes-more-than-550-digital-titles |access-date=2026-06-28 |website=IGN}}</ref>
<ref name="kotaku">{{Cite web |last=Walker |first=John |date=2026-06-26 |title=PlayStation Is Deleting Terminator 2 And 550 Other Movies |url=https://kotaku.com/playstation-store-movies-digital-studio-canal-terminator-2000711013 |access-date=2026-06-28 |website=Kotaku}}</ref>
<ref name="pslifestyle">{{Cite web |last=Khan |first=Zarmena |date=2026-06-26 |title=Purchased Studio Canal Content To Be Removed From PlayStation Library |url=https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2026/06/26/purchased-studio-canal-content-removed-playstation-library/ |access-date=2026-06-28 |website=PlayStation LifeStyle}}</ref>
<ref name="eurogamer2026">{{Cite web |date=2026-06-27 |title=PlayStation to remove Studio Canal movies from libraries |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/playstation-to-remove-studio-canal-movies-from-libraries |access-date=2026-06-28 |website=Eurogamer}}</ref>
<ref name="psvideo-uk">{{Cite web |title=PlayStation Video Content (UK) |url=https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/legal/psvideocontent/ |access-date=2026-06-28 |website=PlayStation}}</ref>
<ref name="eurogamer2022">{{Cite web |date=2022-07-07 |title=Purchased Studio Canal films will be removed from PlayStation Store in Austria and Germany |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/purchased-studio-canal-films-will-be-removed-from-playstation-store-in-austria-and-germany |access-date=2026-06-28 |website=Eurogamer}}</ref>
<ref name="beyondgames">{{Cite web |last=Muhammad |first=Isa |date=2022-07-11 |title=Sony removes purchased StudioCanal films from PlayStation Store |url=https://www.beyondgames.biz/24464/sony-removes-purchased-studiocanal-films-from-playstation-store/ |access-date=2026-06-28 |website=BeyondGames.biz}}</ref>
<ref name="nyt">{{Cite web |last=Medina |first=Eduardo |date=2023-12-06 |title=PlayStation Will Delete Purchased Discovery Shows |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/06/technology/sony-playstation-discovery-shows-removal.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207004027/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/06/technology/sony-playstation-discovery-shows-removal.html |archive-date=2023-12-07 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>
<ref name="psvideo-removal-2023">{{Cite web |title=Discovery Entitlements Affected Titles |url=https://www.playstation.com/en-us/legal/psvideocontent/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209201546/https://www.playstation.com/en-us/legal/psvideocontent/ |archive-date=2023-12-09 |url-status=dead |access-date=2026-06-28 |website=PlayStation}}</ref>
<ref name="psvideo-us">{{Cite web |title=Discovery Entitlements Affected Titles |url=https://www.playstation.com/en-us/legal/psvideocontent/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101095355/https://www.playstation.com/en-us/legal/psvideocontent/ |archive-date=2024-01-01 |access-date=2025-03-15 |website=PlayStation}}</ref>
<ref name="gamesindustry">{{Cite web |last=Dring |first=Christopher |date=2023-12-21 |title=PlayStation will not delete Discovery TV shows after all |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/playstation-will-not-delete-discovery-tv-shows-after-all |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231221185246/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/playstation-will-not-delete-discovery-tv-shows-after-all |archive-date=2023-12-21 |access-date=2025-03-15 |website=GamesIndustry.biz}}</ref>
<ref name="pcmag">{{Cite web |last=Price |first=Emily |date=2023-12-22 |title=PlayStation Isn't Removing All That Discovery Content After All |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/playstation-isnt-removing-all-that-discovery-content-after-all |access-date=2026-06-28 |website=PCMag}}</ref>
<ref name="psntos">{{Cite web |title=PlayStation Network Terms of Service and User Agreement |url=https://www.playstation.com/en-us/legal/psn-terms-of-service/ |access-date=2026-06-28 |website=PlayStation}}</ref>
<ref name="ab2426">{{Cite web |title=AB-2426 Consumer protection: false advertising: digital goods |url=https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB2426 |access-date=2026-06-28 |website=California Legislative Information |publisher=California State Legislature}}</ref>
<ref name="gtlaw">{{Cite web |date=December 2024 |title=AB 2426: New California Law Requires Clear Licensing Disclosures for Digital Goods |url=https://www.gtlaw.com/en/insights/2024/12/ab-2426-new-california-law-requires-clear-licensing-disclosures-for-digital-goods |access-date=2026-06-28 |website=Greenberg Traurig}}</ref>
<ref name="asmdc">{{Cite web |date=2024-09-25 |title=Governor Newsom Signs AB 2426 into Law, Increases Transparency Surrounding Disappearing Digital Media |url=https://irwin.asmdc.org/press-releases/20240925-governor-newsom-signs-ab-2426-law-increases-transparency-surrounding |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260206031309/https://irwin.asmdc.org/press-releases/20240925-governor-newsom-signs-ab-2426-law-increases-transparency-surrounding |archive-date=2026-02-06 |access-date=2026-06-28 |website=Office of Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin |publisher=California State Assembly}}</ref>
</references>
 
[[Category:Incidents]]
[[Category:Incidents]]
[[Category:Digital ownership]]
[[Category:Digital ownership]]
[[Category:PlayStation]]
[[Category:PlayStation]]

Latest revision as of 07:19, 29 June 2026

Sony has deleted movies & television shows that customers bought through the PlayStation Store, & has scheduled the deletion of hundreds more once its license to that content ends.[1][2] The most recent notice came in June 2026, when Sony told PlayStation users in the United Kingdom & Europe that on September 1, 2026 it would remove 551 previously purchased StudioCanal movies & TV titles from their video libraries, with no refund.[3][4] PlayStation's network terms state that use of words like purchase or buy does not mean or imply any transfer of ownership of the content, & that everything bought through the store is licensed on a non-exclusive and revocable basis.[5]

Background

[edit | edit source]

Sony stopped selling movies & TV shows on the PlayStation Store on August 31, 2021.[6] It does not own the films & shows it sold through the store; it licenses them from the studios that produce them, & has said it holds no ownership of that content.[7]

September 2026 StudioCanal removal

[edit | edit source]

In June 2026, Sony notified PlayStation users in the United Kingdom & Europe that on September 1, 2026 it would remove every StudioCanal movie & TV show they had purchased from their video libraries.[3][2] The notice became public after an X user, @somatyk, posted the message PlayStation had sent; Kotaku & other outlets then reported it.[8] The message read:

Due to our content licensing agreements, you will no longer be able to access your previously purchased content from Studio Canal, and it will be removed from your video library.

[9]

The PlayStation Store notice to United Kingdom and Europe accounts states that previously purchased Studio Canal content will be removed from your video library as of September 1, 2026.[3]

The list Sony posted on the PlayStation website covers 551 titles.[4][3][10] Affected films include Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Total Recall, Evil Dead, From Dusk Till Dawn & The Deer Hunter.[2][11] The removal does not extend to PlayStation libraries in the United States.[3] Sony's notice made no mention of a refund or compensation.[2][9]

Sony's United Kingdom legal page tells buyers they will no longer be able to access their previously purchased Studio Canal content, with removal set for September 1, 2026.[10]

Germany and Austria removal in 2022

[edit | edit source]

Four years earlier, PlayStation had removed previously purchased StudioCanal films & TV shows from the libraries of customers in Germany & Austria, with the deletion taking effect on August 31, 2022.[1][12] The regional notice blamed Sony's evolving licensing agreements with content providers.[12] It covered 314 titles in Germany & 137 in Austria.[6] The deletion came a year after Sony had assured buyers that their earlier purchases would stay accessible.[1]

Discovery removal and reversal

[edit | edit source]

On December 6, 2023, the New York Times reported that purchased Discovery shows, among them MythBusters & Deadliest Catch, would be deleted from PlayStation libraries on December 31, 2023, with Sony citing its content licensing arrangements.[13] The plan reached more than 1,300 Discovery TV shows.[7] The notice Sony posted on its PlayStation Store legal page read:

As of 31 December 2023, due to our content licensing arrangements with content providers, you will no longer be able to watch any of your previously purchased Discovery content and the content will be removed from your video library. We sincerely thank you for your continued support.

[14]

Sony's PlayStation Store legal page on December 9, 2023, telling buyers that you will no longer be able to watch any of your previously purchased Discovery content.[14]

After consumer backlash, Sony reversed course.[15] On December 21, 2023, it said it had reached an updated agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery & would keep the shows available for at least the next 30 months.[7] The notice on its legal page was replaced with:

Due to updated licensing arrangements, the Discovery content removal planned for December 31, 2023 is no longer occurring. We appreciate your ongoing support and feedback.

[16]

Sony's United States legal page states that the Discovery content removal planned for December 31, 2023 is no longer occurring.[16]

PCMag's Emily Price wrote that the agreement guaranteed access only for a set period, & that PlayStation owners could still lose the content around 2027.[17]

"Buy" button and the PlayStation Network terms

[edit | edit source]

The PlayStation Network Terms of Service govern what a customer receives when they buy a movie from the PlayStation Store, treating the transaction as a revocable license rather than a transfer of ownership.[5] Section 10.1 addresses the storefront language directly:

Use of the terms "own," "ownership", "purchase," "sale," "sold," "sell," "rent" or "buy" in this Agreement or in connection with the Content does not mean or imply any transfer of ownership of any content, data or software or any intellectual property rights from SIE, its affiliates, or its licensors to any user or third party.

[5]

Section 10.2 sets out the license itself:

Except as stated in this Agreement, all Content provided through PlayStation is licensed on a non-exclusive and revocable basis to you for your personal, private, non-transferable, non-commercial, limited use on a limited number of PlayStation Devices or other devices in the country in which your Account is registered.

[5]

Section 10.2 of the PlayStation Network Terms of Service states that all content provided through PlayStation is licensed on a non-exclusive and revocable basis.[5]

Reviewing the September 2026 removal, Notebookcheck called it a reminder of the risks of purchasing digital content.[3]

California Assembly Bill 2426

[edit | edit source]

California's Assembly Bill 2426 requires sellers of digital goods to tell buyers when a purchase is only a license.[18] Governor Newsom signed it on September 24, 2024 as Chapter 513, adding Section 17500.6 to the state's Business and Professions Code.[18][15] It took effect on January 1, 2025.[19] The statute makes it unlawful to sell a digital good using ownership language without a disclosure:

It shall be unlawful for a seller of a digital good to advertise or offer for sale a digital good to a purchaser with the terms "buy," "purchase," or any other term which a reasonable person would understand to confer an unrestricted ownership interest in the digital good, or alongside an option for a time-limited rental, unless either of the following occur:

[18]

California Assembly Bill 2426 provides that it shall be unlawful for a seller of a digital good to offer it for sale using terms such as buy or purchase unless the buyer is told the purchase is a license.[18]

A seller can comply only by getting the buyer's affirmative acknowledgment at each transaction that they are receiving a license, with the restrictions listed & a notice that access may be revoked, or by giving a clear & conspicuous statement that buying the good is a license, with a link to the full terms.[18] The law defines a digital good to include digital movies, music, books, codes & games delivered electronically.[18] According to an analysis by the law firm Greenberg Traurig, a violation can draw civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation under California's False Advertising Law & Unfair Competition Law.[19]

The bill's author, Assembly member Jacqui Irwin, cited Sony's 2023 Discovery removal as an example of purchased digital media disappearing. A statement from her office when Newsom signed the bill read:

Another instance saw Sony threaten to revoke access to Discovery TV shows in 2023, only to come to an agreement with Discovery on an updated licensing agreement following consumer outcry.

[15]

References

[edit | edit source]
  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Porter, Jon (2022-07-08). "PlayStation Store removes purchased movies from libraries after service shutdown". The Verge. Archived from the original on 2022-07-08. Retrieved 2025-03-15.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Sony is deleting over 550 purchased movies from PS5 users' digital libraries". Video Games Chronicle. June 2026. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Fisher, Jacob (2026-06-28). "PlayStation to wipe 551 films from customers' accounts". Notebookcheck. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Cripe, Michael (2026-06-27). "Sony to Delete Movies Owned by PlayStation Users, List Includes More Than 550 Digital Titles". IGN. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
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