The Weinstein Gamble

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Black kitty, black bunny, black kitty!

[Alex]

I refuse to patronize Blockbuster for many reasons (though since Netflix there isn't even a glimmer of a temptation) and that won't change.

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by SzczerbiakManiac

I don't know what you're talking about. I can pronounce "Chris" correctly.

I think she is talking about the Monkey part. And who can't pronounce "Monkey"?

[Alex]

Wait, if this is rental only then they'll be selling them elsewhere. What stops Netflix from buying 1,000 copies the old fashioned way (as opposed to the manufacturer giving them a discount and mailing it directly to them) and then putting them into circulation.

It isn't like you need the manufacturers permission to rent a DVD out.

Oh, and apparently each title is exclusive to Blockbuster for three years.

[innerSpaceman]

Um, that would be blatently illegal. No, Alex, Netflix cannot do that. Nor can you or I.


Blockbuster has to bet its very survival on beating Netflix at its game. They have instituted a very clever twist where you can return their mail-service discs at any Blockbuster location and thus hasten the mailing of the next disc on your queue. They obviously mean to get very aggressive, and this move is certainly in that vein.

Kinda reminds me of the vast market forces looking to end net neutrality. If big business has its way (and it often does) the availability of everything everywhere - apparently including your DVDs - will be coming to an end.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

They have instituted a very clever twist where you can return their mail-service discs at any Blockbuster location and thus hasten the mailing of the next disc on your queue.

Except that according to some people who have the Blockbuster service, they instituted that because the standard mail-it-in route is painfully slow. Going to the store speeds it up, but until they can match Netflix's 3 day turn around in most metropolitan areas, they'll never win.

[CoasterMatt]

Netflix just has a cooler name, too

[Alex]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Um, that would be blatently illegal. No, Alex, Netflix cannot do that. Nor can you or I.

So far I know, yes they can, and so can you. The only thing the copyright holder can prevent is public exhibition.

In 1983 legislation was introduced that would give the copyright holder the right to control the secondary rental market but it was never passed in the face of protest from the new video rental industry.

So long as you don't make copies, once you own a physical copy of a movie you can do whatever you want with it.

I'd be happy to be pointed to the laws that say otherwise (since this all came up when an aunt opened a video store years ago) but Section 109 of the copyright act specifically says that the owner of a lawful copy can do whatever they want with it (except make additional copies). Musical recordings (in 1984) and computer software (in 1990) were specifically exempted from this (renting music CDs is illegal without permission but renting book CDs is legal without permission) but as mentioned, the attempt to exempt movies from this in 1983 failed.

Now, a lot of rental companies do enter into licensing agreements with distributors for the special consideration and Netflix likely wouldn't be willing to risk those over the mediocre movies The Weinstein Company has been releasing. But so far as I know, there is no mandatory licensing requirement. I know you don't like to look stuff up, but if I am wrong I'd really like to be set straight.

[€uroMeinke]

I would have been happy to have waited a bit longer to see the Libertine

[Not Afraid]

Originally Posted by €uroMeinke

I would have been happy to have waited a bit longer to see the Libertine

Ain't that the truth.