According to a statement Does it play? gave to Kotaku, the license-checks may have been introduced to combat refund scams, but were designed to convert into unlimited licenses afterward.

That appears to be the case, with an SIE spokesperson telling GameSpot the following:

“Players can continue to access and play their purchased games as usual. A one-time online check is required to confirm the game’s license, after which no further check-ins are required.”

So yes, it was a big brain move by Sony to make piracy more appealing by screwing with paying gamers.