Apple is currently facing a significant $5 billion class action lawsuit related to its eBook sales. Customers are claiming that the company misled them into believing that when they purchased eBooks through the Apple Books app, those books would be theirs permanently.

According to the lawsuit, this practice allegedly violates California’s false advertising law by “intentionally misleading” consumers about ownership rights. The crux of the complaint revolves around the nature of digital content ownership.

When customers buy an eBook, they are not acquiring full ownership as one would with a physical book. Instead, they are only obtaining a revocable license, leaving them without lasting access to the content.

This situation echoes the experiences of users who purchase music from platforms such as iTunes, where the digital ownership differs from that of a physical CD. Apple’s support documentation states that content purchased from their platform typically remains available for redownload and access; however, it also warns that content can be removed if Apple loses its rights from the content provider.

This loss of rights is a common issue across digital platforms, as seen with streaming services like Netflix, where shows may disappear when licensing terms expire. A critical factor in the lawsuit is that Apple is said to lack clear communication regarding its terms of service and licensing details.

This omission may lead customers to unknowingly support a licensing model, believing they would hold permanent access to their purchases. While users do agree to various licensing terms during the setup of Apple products, many may not fully understand the implications of these agreements.

As of now, Apple has not publicly responded to the lawsuit, and it remains uncertain whether the class action will be certified to move forward in court.