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submitted 11 months ago by throws_lemy@lemmy.nz to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[-] LazaroFilm@lemmy.world 200 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

They’re not purchases, they’re leases.

Edit: it’s actually that you purchase access to their license of the media.

[-] LWD@lemm.ee 133 points 11 months ago

You're correct, of course, but I think if a company uses the term "purchase" or "buy" up front and center, that it should be considered one.

FWIW, before posting this, I looked around on the Google Play Store and they are suspiciously hesitant to actually use those words. Their top charts are "paid," going to a "Paid" app just shows the price, etc. But despite showing a link to their terms of service, they never state that it is a lease.

[-] ryven@lemmy.dbzer0.com 47 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Edit: Sorry, meant to reply to the comment above you!

They're not really leases either. Leases last for a defined period of time, like "one year," or they renew at regular intervals, like "monthly." "Pay up front and we'll let you keep this license for either forever or until we decide to revoke it without notifying you" isn't the same thing.

[-] LazaroFilm@lemmy.world 19 points 11 months ago

Apple uses the word “Get” for free things and simply displays the price on the button of paid apps. No mention of the nature of the transaction. That’s in the Germa of agreement you “read” and agreed to.

[-] Kidplayer_666@lemm.ee 10 points 11 months ago

Same thing that Sony did with movies on the PS. “You’re buying a revocable licence”

[-] atrielienz@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

Pretty much all the big tech firms have done this. The problem is we only blame the middlemen. We blame Sony or Amazon, or Google or whoever. But the companies providing the licenses for them to "sell" are a big part of the problem. And nobody ever wants to listen when I say this but they should be on the hook too. Like, I appreciate that it's messed up to have your purchased media shadow ganked. But at the same time it's fucked up to have the licensing agreements be what they are to start with and that's absolutely on companies that own the rights to digital media. Who continue to lobby to maintain the status quo.

[-] Fiivemacs@lemmy.ca 6 points 11 months ago

All they will do is call it purshaces or some other made up bs

[-] NickwithaC@lemmy.world 19 points 11 months ago

And this is why you don't see apps selling for a price but rather being used to syphon users into subscriptions.

[-] yo_scottie_oh@lemmy.ml 10 points 11 months ago

Well, they’re “purchases” of a license that can be revoked at any time for any reason.

[-] snaggen@programming.dev 8 points 11 months ago

Are they really? Didn't you press a button that said "Buy"? Just because they want things to be something else, doesn't mean that the meaning of the words changed.

[-] MindSkipperBro12@lemmy.world 11 points 11 months ago

They can argue that you “bought” the lease.

[-] grue@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

No they fucking can't argue that! Words have meanings and Google is not entitled to change them.

[-] essteeyou@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

It's pretty clear that you're leasing a car when you do it. Make it like that.

[-] danielfgom@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

Exactly. It should say "lease" instead of "buy" or just "price" .

They know that too but you know why they don't use "lease"? They would have WAY less sales. Almost no one would click that.

So they use "buy"/"price" to make you think you own it, and then think they are clever when they define it as "buying a licence" in the Terms.

That's plain and sneaky so I don't feel sorry for them when people pirate stuff.

I wish every dev had the option of "go to my website and buy this from me with an eternal licence included" as well as the option to lease it from the Play Store.

Same goes for music and movies.

[-] MindSkipperBro12@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

If it’s in the term and you sign it, then, for better or for worse, then that is true.

[-] DreadPotato@sopuli.xyz 9 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

There are usually loads of unenforceable terms and definitions in the ToS you sign. Just because you sign it doesn't make it true or enforceable, and many won't hold up in court even if you've signed the document. But that requires you to spend the energy and money to fight these fuckers.

[-] essteeyou@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

If a car dealership put a sticker on the front window of a car saying "Buy this car for $250 a month for 4 years" and then took the car from you after 4 years because their terms had some fine print, the dealership would likely be sued.

If they weren't sued they'd at least lose business. Unfortunately for everyone, that's not going to happen with Amazon or Sony or any other big company doing this shit because we're just letting them get away with shady business practices.

I'm not saying the terms are wrong or that what the companies are doing is illegal right now, but I do think it should be looked at closely by someone who can dish out some massive fines, or ideally change the situation.

[-] lolcatnip@reddthat.com 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Maybe that's true in a legal sense, depending on the jurisdiction, but in a moral sense, it's only true if you read and understood what you were agreeing to. You can't consent to something you were tricked into.

[-] LazaroFilm@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

It’s in the terms you agreed to. Didn’t you read them?

[-] essteeyou@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

I wish the terms and conditions had reading times at the top of them, and I also wish there was a law saying something to the effect of "buying a movie shouldn't require you to read 35 minutes of ALL CAPS TERMS AND CONDITIONS while holding a dictionary and a thesaurus after gaining a legal degree"

[-] LazaroFilm@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

Agreed there should be a max word count for this kind of things.

[-] Exec@pawb.social 6 points 11 months ago

On some storefronts the relevant button is labelled "Get"

[-] Patch@feddit.uk 4 points 11 months ago

I've just had a look on the Play Store, and they notably don't use the word "buy" anywhere that I can see. The button to "buy" the app is just a button with the price on it, and clicking through that it uses the language of "install".

Can't help but think that that's deliberate.

[-] f4f4f4f4f4f4f4f4@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago

It does say "Buy" and refers to a "purchase", but everyone's arguing semantics; the Terms of Service say that you are buying a limited license to download and use the software. You may have a "one-click purchase"-type option enabled?

this post was submitted on 11 Jan 2024
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