Apple Faces Lawsuit Over its iTunes 'Buy' Button
DannyB writes:
Apple faces lawsuit over its iTunes 'buy' button
A potential lawsuit is brewing in California that once again highlights the thorny issue of ownership in the digital era. The legal case in Sacramento involves Apple, which could be facing a putative class action over the way it labels movie and TV show purchases on the iTunes Store, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The lead plaintiff in the case claims Apple's use of a 'Buy' button for media is "deceptive" as the company can "terminate access" to purchased content at will, and "has done so on numerous occasions." He adds he wouldn't have gone through with the purchase, or paid as much, if he'd known the content could one day become unavailable.
This week, Apple's attempts at getting the suit dismissed were largely rejected by the judge presiding over the case. The company contended that "no reasonable consumer" would believe that iTunes purchases would remain there indefinitely.
[ . . . . ] If this all sounds familiar, it's because a similar challenge involving Amazon emerged last October. Like Apple, the online retailer was sued for false advertising and unfair competition regarding Prime Video purchases. For its part, Amazon argued that its terms of use state that consumers are actually obtaining a "limited license to view video content" when they buy media. The company added that it didn't matter if the plaintiff had read the fine print as they were still bound by it. [ . . . . ]
Apple Faces Lawsuit for Misleading Consumers on Movie and TV Show "Purchases"
Many an Apple consumer has had a rude awakening when they've discovered that their iTunes movie or TV purchases had suddenly disappeared. Owing to licensing issues or regional rights, Apple could delete previous purchases from a user's library without warning. Naturally, this has earned Apple the ire of people who used their hard-earned money to "buy" these movies or shows, but Apple is insisting that it has not misled consumers on these "purchases." However, they're now facing a lawsuit over this very issue, and a federal judge is not looking at Apple favorably. [ . . . . ]
Read more of this story at SoylentNews.