This is literally the case all the damn time in every single era of history.
I don’t know how old you are, so I can’t even guess what your perspective and context on this subject might be. All I know is that at 55 (born in 1970) it sure feels different right now compared to how things have been for most of my lifetime. To me, at least.
There are still options for disc-by-mail rental online. Netflix shut down their business but there are smaller companies still serving the remaining market.
… when there’s literally no other option to own it in a way it can’t be just taken from you …
There’s at least one legal route that’s still viable.
I buy lots of Blu-ray and 4K UHD discs. I rip them straight on to my Jellyfin server. In fact, there’s been renewed vitality in disc releases during the past few years. Small shops like Shout Factory and Arrow are buying rights to old (‘60s through ‘00s) films that were shot on 35mm. They re-scan and remaster for UHD 4K and then straight to physical disc. That’s a cheap production pipeline with modern tech.
I’ve been having a blast re-visiting films that I never saw in the theater and only know from VHS or DVD rentals. Seeing them again with fresh eyes in 4K has been really gratifying.
That, plus new release discs keep me with more options than I have time to watch.
What aspects of naturalism do you feel negate the reality of our collective community? I really don’t see how the one led you to the other.
That’s called a “fontanelle”