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Why is Google allowed to remove purchases from our Play Store accounts without telling us?
(www.androidpolice.com)
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this post was submitted on 11 Jan 2024
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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.
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.
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.
Same thing that Sony did with movies on the PS. “You’re buying a revocable licence”
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.
All they will do is call it purshaces or some other made up bs