‘My whole library is wiped out’: what it means to own movies and TV in the age of streaming services

Many streaming companies have clauses stating movies, TV shows and music may not continue to be available, regardless of whether it has been streamed or bought. Photograph: simpson33/Getty Images/iStockphoto

What rights do you have to the digital movies, TV shows and music you buy online?

That question was on the minds of Telstra TV Box Office customers this month after the company announced it would shut down the service in June. Customers were told that unless they moved over to another service, Fetch, they would no longer be able to access the films and TV shows they had bought.