Disney, Amazon Reportedly Close to Solving DVD Dispute
Entertainment and e-commerce giants Disney and Amazon have been feuding recently over DVD sales on Amazon's website, but according to reports in the Wall Street Journal, their dispute may be close to over.
After Amazon stopped allowing customers to purchase pre-ordered copied of Disney's summer hit "Maleficent" - while Walmart and Barnes & Noble did - industry leaders speculated that the pair were reportedly fighting over proper pricing and promotion for Disney products. Although now, a recent check of Amazon.com's DVD titles list "Maleficent" as well as "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Million Dollar Arm," "The 100 Foot Journey" and "Planes: Fire and Rescue" preorders, and the company confirmed they were available again.
The Wall Street Journal said one of the other issues between the corporations was who was responsible for making up the difference when Amazon loses money matching competitors' prices. Details on talks and agreements were not immediately available and it is unclear if Amazon and Disney are working on any long-term deals.
A similar feud occurred between Amazon and another media giant, Time Warner's Warner Bros. Amazon pulled preorder titles in this situation as well, then backed off and re-listed them several weeks later.
E-book publishing through Amazon's Kindle has also come under fire. Hachette Book Group, a publisher under Lagardere SCA, said Amazon deliberately slowed deliveries of their book titles for six months, reduced discount amounts and limited preordering to strong arm the publishing house into meeting Amazon's demands. The fighting sides continued their standoff, even as Hachette chief executive Michael Pietsch weathered complaints from prominent authors whose sales were suffering.
Wall Street Journal reporters Ben Frits and Greg Bensinger said, "in the past year they have spilled into public view more frequently than in the past. In previous disputes, the internet giant took fewer steps such as halting preorders and changing search results to emphasize competitors' products."
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