When Amazon users click “Buy” on a movie on the Prime Video platform, they aren’t really buying it, according to a class action lawsuit filed in federal court in Seattle alleging the company is guilty of a bait and switch. Instead users are purchasing a revocable license, unlike the ownership a customer has when purchasing a DVD. So if an Amazon user buys the new Jurassic World movie on Prime Video for $29.99 but Amazon loses the rights to the film, so does the buyer. The suit was brought by California resident Lisa Reingold, who, according to the complaint, purchased the fourth season of the Nickelodeon sitcom Bella and the Bulldogs on Amazon in May for $17.79, after applying a $3 credit. But soon after, the title was no longer available. Earlier this year, California implemented the Digital Property Rights Transparency Law (AB-2426), which makes “bait and switch” practices—defined in the suit—as unlawful. Reingold argues that Amazon is violating the law. Unless sellers get acknowledgment from buyers that they are receiving a revocable license or clearly define the limitations of the transaction, it is against the law to market the product as a “purchase.” Reingold’s suit seeks restitution and a disgorgement of profits Amazon made using this practice, in addition to requiring the tech giant to revise its practices.
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