Prime Video is in the midst of a lawsuit with major implications for purchasing movies on the platform. In addition to what is streaming and what can be rented, Prime Video has an extensive library of movies that can be purchased, and sometimes at very affordable prices.

However, per The Hollywood Reporter, a class action lawsuit against Prime Video has now been filed in Washington federal court. The lawsuit argues that Prime Video is misleading customers since they are only getting a license to watch the movies they purchase, and they can lose the content if Prime Video’s licenses are revoked.

There is an accusation within the lawsuit that consumers are being misled when told they can buy a movie, especially since the fine print on the confirmation purchase page says “You receive a license to the video and you agree to our terms.”

What This Means For Prime Video

The lawsuit that Prime Video faces is not the first time that the temporary nature of digital media purchases has been brought into question. It came up in 2023 when users discovered that their purchase of the video game The Crew would be lost after Ubisoft shut down the game’s servers.

While this may not be an entirely new development in the entertainment industry, it is an important one. When most viewers purchase a movie on Prime Video, they are doing so under the ᴀssumption that they now have permanent access to the movie, but the lawsuit emphasizes that this is a misconception.

Consumers may now have more reluctance to buy and binge-watch movies on Prime Video now that there is more awareness of the purchases potentially being revoked. This could lead to a decrease in buying movies on Prime Video in the future.

The issue is not wholly unique to this platform, though, and applies to other streaming services as well. If anything, it is a reminder of why buying physical media can be considered safer and more permanent than buying digital media.

Our Take On Prime Video’s Lawsuit

While there are plenty of must-see movies on Prime Video, it may not be worth it to buy any of them given that they can be removed without warning. Digital media comes with a lot of convenience and accessibility, but those benefits don’t matter much when you may suddenly be unable to watch the movie you bought.

I have gradually moved away from physical media, but this Prime Video lawsuit may be the push I need to begin buying it again. At the very least, I can know I will own and be able to watch the physical media any time I want without losing access to them.