Amazon Prime Video Says You Don’t Own Purchased Content in Lawsuit
A new lawsuit is challenging Amazon Prime Video's content restrictions.
The company claims when a streamer purchases a movie on Amazon Prime Video, their terms state that it is for “on-demand viewing over an indefinite period of time.”
Amanda Caudel is contesting those terms, reports The Hollywood Reporter. A U.S. District Court in California is hearing the case.
She sued the streamer in a California class action suit in the spring, claiming “Amazon’s Prime Video service, which allows consumers to purchase video content for streaming or download, misleads consumers because sometimes that video content might later become unavailable if a third-party rights’ holder revokes or modifies Amazon’s license.”
Caudel’s suit covers any video content bought from April 25, 2016 onward.
Amazon rejected her complaint this week, noting a lack of injury, as well as her purchase of 13 titles since her complaint was filed.
From Amazon’s Prime Video rebuttal:
“Plaintiff claims that Defendant Amazon’s Prime Video service, which allows consumers to purchase video content for streaming or download, misleads consumers because sometimes that video content might later become unavailable if a third-party rights’ holder revokes or modifies Amazon’s license,” writes attorney David Biderman in the motion.
“The Complaint points vaguely to online commentary about this alleged potential harm but does not identify any Prime Video purchase unavailable to Plaintiff herself. In fact, all of the Prime Video content that Plaintiff has ever purchased remains available,” it continues.
Amazon Prime Video points out the site’s required user agreements state some content may later become unavailable. Even if Caudel doesn’t read the terms of the user agreement, she is still bound by it.
The streamer’s argument is bottom line: Purchased content is available until it isn’t.