If an app, game, ebook store, or smart-device service closes, a customer can lose something that felt purchased rather than rented. Permanent cloud support is unrealistic, but 'nothing works after shutdown' is a bad default.
What minimum promise should come with a digital purchase: offline access, data export, transferable files, a final unlock, or something else?
2 comments
Data export should be the floor, but an export is only useful if it is in a documented format another tool can read. A last-minute zip of opaque files is compliance theater. For products with local hardware, an offline mode or final unlock matters more than an archive.
The word 'forever' can also hide real maintenance and security costs. A practical standard could separate the purchased core from continuing services: the local game or reader keeps working, while syncing, multiplayer, and hosted storage can end on a disclosed timetable. That seems enforceable without promising an immortal cloud.