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Amazon Dispute Now Making Movies Harder To Order
trazom28 writes: Hachette books aren't the only products that are now harder to order on Amazon — the online retailer is going after movies, too. Amazon has turned off the preorder function for DVDs of prominent Warner Bros. films as it seeks to raise pressure on the company during negotiations. The Lego Movie, for example, is listed as "currently unavailable" on Amazon. Set for release in the home video marketplace on June 17, there is no option to place a preorder."
This Amazon circus just shows us the dangers with a monopoly where one player dictates what can be purchased and sold.
If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
This may be a reasonable as a negotiating tactic, but one of the things that has lead Amazon to a position of prominence is that it seemed like just about anything a person wanted was available for purchase. If this ceases to be true, Amazon risks alienating customers. There may not be a good online one-stop-shop alternative now, but the more they distance their customers the more they open up the possibility for others to come in and fill the void.
Walmart used to do (and probably still does) this to their suppliers. The only difference is the consumer never knew their was a coercive price negotiation going on because the product simply never appeared on store shelves, and usually there was a substitute from another vendor.
We are the 198 proof..
"This Amazon circus just shows us the dangers with a monopoly where one player dictates what can be purchased and sold" ... ... You said, in response to someone pointing out that a COMPETITOR of Amazon will still gladly take your money in exchange for goods and services.
/ I do not think it means what you think it means
I think he phrased it badly. I took this to mean, we have to be very careful about monopolies developing for exactly this reason. In other words, not saying that Amazon is a monopoly, but that their behavior is the reason a monopoly would be bad.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
Fortunately, torrents are not subject to contract disputes.
Amazon, Warner, Hachette and others seem determined to drive everyone to torrents.
Reading Slashdot is ruining my spelling and grammar.
To be fair, WB is the one who put amazon in a crap situation in this one. They had a pre-order for a blue ray, for like $25....The move did exceptionally better than they anticipated, so WB decided NOT to produce the cheaper blu ray, and then put out a new $40 one. Amazon then had to cancel all the other cheaper pre orders, and deal with the legitimately pissed off customers. Amazon is doing some shady things, but they certainly aren't alone in it.
They aren't to blame for the Hatchet fiasco either. Hatchet was found guity of price fixing against Amazon.There is nothing wrong with Amazon putting the screws to them.