Sony erases digital content from libraries; we're reminded we don’t own what we buy

Ars Technica News

Summary

Sony plans to remove 551 previously purchased StudioCanal movies from UK PlayStation customers' libraries due to licensing agreements, highlighting the lack of true ownership of digital content.

<p>Sony recently informed its PlayStation customers in the United Kingdom that they will no longer be able to watch previously purchased movies and shows from production and distribution company StudioCanal. As of September 1, affected customers will no longer be able to stream 551 titles from the PlayStation Store.</p> <p>In a <a href="https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/legal/psvideocontent/">legal notice</a> first spotted by gaming news outlet <a href="https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2026/06/26/purchased-studio-canal-content-removed-playstation-library/">PlayStation LifeStyle</a>, Sony said that affected customers will lose the ability to stream titles including <em>Outrage: Way of the Yakuza</em>, <em>Paddington</em>,<em> Paddington 2</em>,<em> Pan’s Labyrinth</em>,<em> Rambo 3</em>,<em> Terminator 2: Judgment Day</em>, and <em>The Boy in the Striped Pajamas</em> “due to our content licensing agreements.” As of September, Sony will remove any affected titles that UK users bought from their PlayStation library, per the notice.</p> <p>It’s possible that Sony may still make a deal with StudioCanal by September 1, or even after, that would allow users to keep watching the content they bought. This happened in 2023, when Sony said it would have to <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/12/playstation-is-erasing-1318-seasons-of-discovery-shows-from-customer-libraries/">pull 1,318 seasons of Discovery shows</a> from customers’ libraries. A few weeks after its announcement, Sony said that it would not pull the content because it had updated its licensing arrangements with Discovery.</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/06/sony-erases-digital-content-from-libraries-were-reminded-we-dont-own-what-we-buy/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/06/sony-erases-digital-content-from-libraries-were-reminded-we-dont-own-what-we-buy/#comments">Comments</a></p>
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# Sony erases digital content from libraries; we're reminded we don’t own what we buy Source: [https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/06/sony-erases-digital-content-from-libraries-were-reminded-we-dont-own-what-we-buy/](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/06/sony-erases-digital-content-from-libraries-were-reminded-we-dont-own-what-we-buy/) Sony recently informed its PlayStation customers in the United Kingdom that they will no longer be able to watch previously purchased movies and shows from production and distribution company StudioCanal\. As of September 1, affected customers will no longer be able to stream 551 titles from the PlayStation Store\. In a[legal notice](https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/legal/psvideocontent/)first spotted by gaming news outlet[PlayStation LifeStyle](https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2026/06/26/purchased-studio-canal-content-removed-playstation-library/), Sony said that affected customers will lose the ability to stream titles including*Outrage: Way of the Yakuza*,*Paddington*,*Paddington 2*,*Pan’s Labyrinth*,*Rambo 3*,*Terminator 2: Judgment Day*, and*The Boy in the Striped Pajamas*“due to our content licensing agreements\.” As of September, Sony will remove any affected titles that UK users bought from their PlayStation library, per the notice\. It’s possible that Sony may still make a deal with StudioCanal by September 1, or even after, that would allow users to keep watching the content they bought\. This happened in 2023, when Sony said it would have to[pull 1,318 seasons of Discovery shows](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/12/playstation-is-erasing-1318-seasons-of-discovery-shows-from-customer-libraries/)from customers’ libraries\. A few weeks after its announcement, Sony said that it would not pull the content because it had updated its licensing arrangements with Discovery\.

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