As of next Wednesday, you will no longer be able to view any videos you rented or purchased from Google Video. We’ll assume this only directly affects, like, the six of you out there who tried out their service, but it’s still a striking example of how badly consumers are treated when they “buy” DRM-shackled media online. According to boingboing.net, Google’s giving their abandoned customers credits that they have to spend (within 60 days) via Google Checkout.

We’re sorry that Google’s video retail experience turn out profitably for them, but this sure sounds like a load of “do some evil” to us. As Cory Doctorow puts it:

The terms that Google sold its video on were similar to those laid down by other downloadable video “stores,” like Amazon Unbox. These stores claim to “sell” you things, but you can never truly 0wn the things they sell — they are your theoretical property only, liable to confiscation at any time.

Google Video robs customers of the videos they “own” [BoingBoing.net]

(Photo: Getty)

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