A Reddit user claimed that Google removed the extended editions of The Lord of the Rings, which he had purchased, from his digital library without permission. He bought the trilogy about four years ago but has now found that he can no longer access the films. Google customer service explained that these titles are "no longer in our catalog." The user did not specify how much he paid for the three movies, but it was clearly not free. Meanwhile, he received no compensation.
This incident has reignited the old question: Does a digital purchase truly mean you own the movie? Even purchased content can vanish due to changes in licensing, adjustments in agreements between digital stores and rights holders, or platform policy shifts. Reactions from forum users were predominantly negative. One commenter noted that this is precisely why physical media matters; another sarcastically referenced the phrase "You will own nothing and be happy," specifically mentioning their collection of Blu-ray discs.
This case once again highlights the advantage of physical copies: while digital purchases are convenient and simple, they remain subject to licensing agreements between online stores and film studios. Once these change, users may lose access to content they have already paid for.