Funimation customers are outraged after digital copies of Blu-ray media they thought they could keep forever are now unsupported following the app’s end of service.
Funimation digital copies refer to the codes that customers receive along with paid physical Blu-ray discs. These gave fans digital access to the same content through the Funimation app and website. As Ars Technica reports, Funimation customers have long been informed that these copies will be kept “forever, but with some limitations.” Digital copies are subject to Funimation’s terms and conditions, which are eligible to be revoked at any time without notice. While consumers are always advised to read the fine print, many say they were fooled into thinking they would always have access to the content they paid for.
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Anime fans are still in the dark about Funimation refunding lost digital copies
Funimation’s end-of-service announcement did not specifically mention whether Digital Copies would be refunded, stating only: “Please note that Crunchyroll does not currently support Funimation Digital Copies, which means is that access to previously available digital copies will not be supported.” . However, we are continuously working to enhance our content offering and provide you with an exceptional anime streaming experience. We appreciate your understanding and encourage you to explore the rich anime library available on Crunchyroll.” While this sentence framing leaves some room for future support, many are wondering why Funimation was shut down before support was available.
Every case of fans discovering that they don’t actually own most of the paid digital content continues to cause widespread backlash. PlayStation fans in December were outraged after more than 1,000 seasons of Warner Bros. Discovery is removed from the PlayStation Store, regardless of whether it has been paid for or not. Despite obvious ethical concerns, the entertainment industry continues to push for digital transformation, with many new generation consoles dropping support for disc drives altogether.
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It remains to be seen whether fans will receive a refund or whether Crunchyroll will support Digital Copies in the future. As Funimation suggests, most of the details about its library and customer accounts have been carried over in a seamless transition; however, many are also raising concerns about price increases. This happens because Crunchyroll has no major competitors as an anime streaming service.
Source: X (formerly Twitter), Ars Technica
