Digital ownership is not true ownership

The recent Lord of the Rings case is a good reminder that buying digital content worst than owning it in the same way as a physical copy.

A customer reportedly purchased the Lord of the Rings Extended Edition trilogy years ago, only to later find that it was no longer available in his digital library. When he asked for a refund, support said the purchase was too old to qualify under the standard refund window.

The bigger lesson isn't just about Google or LOTR. Digital purchases depend on licenses, catalogs, platforms, and terms that can change. A company can lose distribution rights, remove a title, change availability, or discontinue a service—potentially leaving consumers with limited options.

For consumers, it's a reminder:

Physical media can be inconvenient, but you control the copy.
Digital media is convenient, but your access can depend on someone else's platform and licensing agreements.

Digital is incredibly convenient—but when you “buy” something digitally, it's worth checking exactly what you're buying and what happens if the content is removed.

Source: google pulls the lord of the rings