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dc3kyesterday at 9:24 PM7 repliesview on HN

it should not be legal for the product page to say “purchase” or “buy” when in reality you’re only renting it with a to be determined end date


Replies

sibtoday at 12:20 AM

So... I used to work in the "digital movie & TV selling" industry. Our product detail pages, like pretty much all our competitors, had language on the call-to-action buttons that said "purchase" (and also, as an alternative, "rent," for 48- or 72-hour viewing).

At one point, about 10 years ago, one of the major Hollywood studios came to us and required us to change that because they believed that exactly this sort of thing would happen and we would all be setting ourselves up for liability because consumers would rightfully assume that that meant they owned the movie "forever."

dathinabyesterday at 9:27 PM

and this should include musics and similar in games (excluding stuff like sessional content)

if you sell a game you should have to have bought a license to use the music (and similar) in the game permanently (for given game sold, new sold revision can change what they contain but only if there isn't deceptive advertisement and it's very clearly labeled that it's a different revision/the content changed!).

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xboxnolifesyesterday at 11:21 PM

That's a big can of worms, since it applies to approximately 100% of all software. You only ever buy a license that allows you to use software, almost never actually buy software.

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b112yesterday at 9:40 PM

Yes, 100%, and that end date should be very clearly listed too.

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LoganDarkyesterday at 10:01 PM

Renting what? The non-exclusive, revocable license? Because that's what purchase or buy means.

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mistyvalesyesterday at 10:02 PM

Pretty sure the Terms of Use say just that. They should update the language on the frontend though.

makeitdoubletoday at 12:22 AM

Have you ever bought a ticket to a concert ? what did you actually own ?

I get the feeling, but this whole outrage about what words mean is sterile if you don't actually engage with what is sold here, by who from who, what was the contract, how it was setup and why.

How do you feel about the right holders who also didn't bother providing simple "buy, download and it's forever yours" avenues to get that content ? Or are you just happy being outraged and will go back to your daily life afterwards ? (that's what I'll do, because I was already renting stuff when video tapes were a thing, and I see the current situation as a logical equilibrium, including what happens on the seven seas)

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