Google Confirms: Purchased Movies Remain Accessible
Photo: Android Authority
Quick answer
Google clarified that a user’s loss of access to purchased 'Lord of the Rings' films was caused by a technical error in content display, not content removal.
Last week, a Google Play user reported the sudden disappearance of their purchased 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy from their library. Initially, Google refused to issue a refund but later provided compensation in the form of an account credit. The company insists that access to the films was not revoked and attributes the issue to a technical glitch.
The affected user noted that the Google TV mobile app crashes when attempting to open the library, while a Chromecast with Google TV device only displays part of the purchased content. Google attributed the situation to a 'rendering issue with large libraries,' but provided YouTube* links did not resolve the problem—two films from the trilogy were offered for repurchase, while the third remained inaccessible.
This incident highlights the risks of owning digital content. In summer 2024, Sony removed over 500 films from user libraries on the PlayStation Store, stripping them of access to purchased media. Such cases question the reliability of digital purchases and emphasize the need for backups.
Common questions
- Why did the user lose access to purchased movies in Google Play?
- Google attributes the issue to a technical glitch in rendering large content libraries. While the films remain accessible in the system, users cannot view them due to app malfunctions.
- Does Google refund inaccessible content?
- Yes, in this case, the company credited the user’s account with the movie’s cost, but access to the content was never restored.
- Can digital purchases disappear from a library permanently?
- Yes, such cases have occurred, including Sony’s removal of hundreds of films from user libraries. This underscores the risks of owning digital content.
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