Public Knowledge Joins 16 Groups Urging FTC To Define Digital Ownership

Public Knowledge joined 16 other public interest, consumer rights, and library groups in a letter urging Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson to protect consumers in the digital marketplace by establishing clear ground rules for digital ownership and sales of goods. The groups argue that “ownership must mean something in the digital age” and that “if a transaction does not include the essential rights of preservation, use, and transfer, it should not be marketed or labeled as a sale.” The letter asks Chairman Ferguson to provide “definitional clarity” to bring honesty and transparency to the digital marketplace—and to restore consumer trust.