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Amazon Pulls Kodi Media Player From App Store Over Piracy Claims

Posted by Soulskill on from the get-out-because-reasons dept.

An anonymous reader writes with news that the Kodi media player (formerly XBMC) has had its app pulled from the Amazon app store after Amazon decided that it facilitates piracy. Amazon said, "Any facilitation of piracy or illegal downloads is not allowed in our program," and directed the development team not to resubmit the app. The team was surprised to hear this, since Kodi itself does not download or link to any infringing content. It does support addons, and some users have created addons to support pirated content, but the Kodi developers are fighting that behavior. XBMC Foundation board member Nathan Betzen said it's absurd that "Amazon won’t let us into their appstore, but they have no problem selling the boxes that are pushing the reason they won’t let us into their app store."

4 of 122 comments (clear)

  1. Pronoun Game Anyone? by The+Faywood+Assassin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "selling the boxes that are pushing the reason they won’t let us into their app store"

    What does that even mean?

    --

    "I'm a humble person really,

    I'm actually much greater than I think I am"

    1. Re:Pronoun Game Anyone? by SeaFox · · Score: 5, Interesting

      they worded it badly but pretty much they are complaining that amazon is selling the fire TV and other media sticks, while banning KODI, which without addons is not any different.

        Seems like an issue with anti competitive behavior

      Why does the foundation find this "absurd"? Just sounds like business as usual for content/platform lock-in and large companies using their control over a marketplace to remove competition.

      Kinda reminds me of how Apple removes apps that "duplicate functionality built into iOS" and then at the same time "adopts" features of the best third-party utilities in new iOS versions.

  2. "piracy-enabling" device? by stoned_ritual · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So all computers, cell phones, tablets, any audio/visual recording equipment should stop being sold by amazon based on this premise, yeah?

  3. Re:Plex by spire3661 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Plex has spent a LOT of money greasing the wheels of the big players. Thats why they have official apps on Xbox one and PS4. Kodi doesnt play the 'pay me ' game.

    --
    Good-bye