Anytime a celebrity sues a major technology company, it is going to be big news on the Internet. However, that alone does not explain why so many people are talking about the news that Bruce Willis is suing Apple. That’s because Willis’ lawsuit has much broader implications that just the narrow right he is actually suing over.
Willis is suing over the right to leave his children his iTunes library when he passes away. While it might seem obvious to some that you could bequeath your iTunes library, legally you cannot. You do not actually own the music files that you purchase from iTunes. What you own is a license to download the files for your own personal use, a license that prohibits you from transferring the files or ownership of the license to anyone else.
This is important because Apple is not alone in selling these types of licenses. It is actually what most technology companies do and have always done. If Willis is successful in his lawsuit against Apple, then any court ruling could have implications for all types of digital files and your ability to leave them to the people of your choice after you pass away.
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