Clicking “buy” on a movie, game or ebook rarely transfers a file; it grants a revocable license that the store can revoke at any time. Physical media—Blu‑ray discs, cartridges, printed books—remain fully owned, tradable and usable offline. The model sparked backlash when Microsoft pledged 24‑hour Xbox One check‑ins in 2013, forcing a policy reversal. Courts have upheld that the first‑sale doctrine does not extend to digital files, cementing the license‑only reality.

Major platforms have repeatedly erased purchased titles when licensing deals expire. Disney+ removed over 50 originals in 2023, logging a $1.5 billion impairment charge to cut residual payments. Warner Bros. Discovery pulled 87 HBO Max titles in 2022‑23, while Sony warned UK PlayStation users in June 2026 that Studio Canal movies will vanish without refunds. Similar delistings have hit games such as P.T., Deadpool and the original GTA PC releases.

Because licenses stay tied to an account, consumers cannot resell, lend or archive digital purchases, and refunds are rare. A 2022 class‑action suit accused Amazon of fraud for labeling licenses as purchases, echoing a 2020 California case dismissed for lack of standing. The accumulation of removals and legal rulings shows that digital storefronts sell access, not property, leaving buyers with no lasting control.