It seems as though digital libraries will never really replace physical media, as one film fan is learning after Google removed the complete Lord of the Rings extended edition trilogy from their library.
Earlier this August, one Lord of the Rings fan went to his Google Play account to find the trilogy missing. But when they brought the matter up to Google, the site said that even though the user paid for the trilogy, the content had been removed because it is "no longer available in our catalogue," reads the original Reddit post, which has since been deleted. Then, when the user requested a refund, Google said that wasn't possible as the purchase was made outside its 120-day refund policy.
The fan, understandably angered by the situation, replied, "But I paid for the item, and it is no longer being provided." It is not clear how much the fan paid for the trilogy, but the collection is currently on sale for around $20 on Prime Video, down from $25. The exchange has since been posted on Twitter, which you can see below.
Lord of the Rings fans will understand the gravity of the situation. Even I had to check that my limited edition collection was still in its place. The trilogy includes extended editions of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, clocking in at over 11 hours in total.
However, it seems Google had a change of heart. On August 12, the user posted an update on Reddit, explaining that they chased the matter further until they reached a customer support specialist who apologised for the mistake and credited £20 ($27) to their account. The user states that Google also included links to the films. However, only two links work, and the movies remain behind paywalls.
Google states that, despite the trilogy disappearing from their library, the film fan still has ownership of them. But what does that really mean if they cannot actually watch the movies? It seems as though we need to invest in physical media now more than ever.
Next up in The Lord of the Rings universe, The Rings of Power season 3 is on the way later this year, followed by new movie The Hunt for Gollum. For more, check out our guide on how to watch The Lord of the Rings in order, and keep up with new movies on the way.
