Gov. Newsom signs law forcing digital stores to admit you're buying media licenses only

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A caller California instrumentality volition necessitate online stores to disclose you are purchasing licenses for integer games, movies, music, and ebooks, not owning them.

It's an effort to marque customers alert that galore integer purchases tin beryllium revoked. For example, the integer movie you've bought precocious could vanish due to the fact that you lone bought a licence to presumption it, not ain it.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 2426, banning integer storefronts from utilizing words specified arsenic "buy" oregon "purchase" unless customers are informed they bash not ain the media.

This tin beryllium done by either obtaining acknowledgment from customers that the integer bully tin beryllium revoked if the seller nary longer holds the close to the merchandise oregon by providing a connection earlier each transaction that buying a integer bully is simply a licence with a nexus providing afloat details connected the license.

According to the bill's author, Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, the authorities is aimed astatine ensuring consumers person a afloat knowing of what they are buying.

"When a user purchases an online integer bully similar a movie oregon TV show, they person the quality to presumption the media astatine their leisure," Irwin said. "Oftentimes, the user believes that their acquisition has fixed them imperishable ownership of that integer good, akin to however the acquisition of movie connected a DVD oregon a paperback publication provides entree successful perpetuity. In world though, the user has lone purchased a license, which, according to the seller's presumption and conditions, the seller tin revoke astatine immoderate point."

Companies that interruption the caller instrumentality could beryllium fined for mendacious advertising. It volition not use to stores that connection "permanent offline" downloads.

The instrumentality is acceptable to spell into effect adjacent year.