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Kiplinger
Kiplinger
Business
Choncé Maddox

You Don't Actually Own Your Digital Purchases: Why DVDs Are Back

A DVD in a DVD player next to a bag of popcorn.

For years, people have been encouraged to build digital libraries of movies, TV shows, music and books. Buying a movie online seems just as permanent as buying a DVD, until it suddenly isn't.

A recent licensing dispute involving Sony has reignited the debate over digital ownership after hundreds of purchased movies disappeared from customers' libraries. While streaming and digital downloads remain incredibly convenient, many customers are realizing that clicking "Buy" often doesn't provide the same ownership rights as purchasing a physical copy.

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