Apple Pulls Some Disney and Pixar Titles From iTunes Store and iTunes in the Cloud [Updated]

[fanboy7]

Biggest Hurdle

This is the biggest hurdle to allowing digital to replace hard copies. I hope apple can talk sense into these production companies. Otherwise to be honest people have to steal the movies till the companies sales go down and they start paying attention. It worked for the music industry, and now we have iTunes radio, and iTunes where we can purchase songs cheap. The same revolution may need to happen with movies.

 

[Icaras]

So this means the actual files on your your local HD are gone or just the link to re download them in the iTunes Store?

The actual link. I never store local copies of movies, TV shows, or music purchased from iTunes on my Mac ever. Except for iTunes Extras, since those can't be played anywhere BUT a Mac or PC still.

That said, I'm not worried. Digital movies are becoming more and more important in this industry so they can't afford to scare off customers by robbing their confidence of the cloud away, like it's doing right now in this thread.

I fully expect this issue to be resolved by both Apple and Disney swiftly and to have my movies back soon.

 

[alent1234]

Remember, the new Macs don't come with a DVD drive. You have to spend another $30 for the drive (or $70 if your an Apple geek).

and its looking more and more like my first MBP will be my last one

even then there are these things called blu ray players you connect to your TV. who watches movies on a laptop?

 

[StephenCampbell]

This is the biggest hurdle to allowing digital to replace hard copies. I hope apple can talk sense into these production companies. Otherwise to be honest people have to steal the movies till the companies sales go down and they start paying attention. It worked for the music industry, and now we have iTunes radio, and iTunes where we can purchase songs cheap. The same revolution may need to happen with movies.

No need to steal. You only need to maintain a copy of the film on your computer. Stealing it makes you have to store it on your computer as well anyway.

 

[ihuman:D]

Exactly. This is the tip of the iceberg, because when you make an iTunes (or other digital media store) "purchase" you aren't buying anything. You are getting permission to view the title based on whatever licensing is in place at the time you make the "purchase"... and this can be changed any time.

The only way you own a title is if you have the physical disc.

I'm sure they will sort this out, but this won't be the last time. Plenty of us warning you digital consumers about this stuff have been teased relentlessly but this is your future, so get used to it.

I agree, I'm so tired of being teased about my preference for physical media. Hows your precious Cloud now? LOL

 

[alent1234]

i checked the Vudu forums since i have a bunch of ultraviolet movies and people are saying they can still stream these titles

sound like this is bad coding on apple's part. like having to set up a new phone as new to get the free ilife apps

 

[underdog8113]

No one should be too shocked Disney did this. They are the most cavalier distribution company when it comes to licensing and consumer markets. Ever wonder why Disney DVDs/Blu-Rays are always outrageously expensive compared to any other studio? Home video is Disney's bread-and-butter and if they decided the current licensing arrangement is not enough pro-Disney they have no qualms with pulling the plug.

They will just release Lion King "from the Disney Vault" again in about 6 months at $40 per Blu-Ray so that everyone who lost it can repurchase it.

 

[roland.g]

Can you still watch them even though you downloaded the file? I think the OP says the files were delete from his library AND the iCloud.

I can't tell you at the moment, since I am not at my home machine, but I know of no way that they can pull content off your drive. As others have stated, it is the ability to re-download that is gone. iTunes in the Cloud for movies gives you the ability to sign in to your store account on someone else's Apple TV and watch your purchased content or to download a movie to your iPad on the go/on the road. However, that is a CONVENIENCE that Apple offered, only with the studios permission, and only as long as the title is available in the iTunes store.

Case and point, Dreamworks had various titles in the iTunes store and then took them down over licensing. It was almost a year before they started coming back. As a result, I had to wait for them to reach a deal and reinsert the titles before I could buy "How to Train your Dragon".

 

[rmwebs]

and its looking more and more like my first MBP will be my last one

even then there are these things called blu ray players you connect to your TV. who watches movies on a laptop?

Thats not the point of digital media. The point is to use something like an Apple TV or Raspberry Pi with XBMC. You then stream content to it from your Mac or online subscription accounts.

Out of the two choices physical media is the 'old' one.

 

[underdog8113]

Keep in mind also that this is the company who fought VHS tooth-and-nail over copyright concerns and went so far as to sue Sony over VHS's creation. Funny thing is Disney became the largest beneficiary by far of the home video market in the 90s.

 

[Hurda]

I fully expect this issue to be resolved by both Apple and Disney swiftly and that I will have my movies back soon.

Ever heard of the phrase "Disney Vault"?
Read up and then tell me, how much Disney really cares about you getting access to the videos.

 

[roadbloc]

Meanwhile... all my Disney and Pixar DVDs and Bluerays are all still sat on the shelf.

In other words, I knew this stuff would happen and my super anal personality refused to take the chance. And I prefer physical formats.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

why do people blame apple for content that DISNEY removed??

Why are people claiming that Apple "stole/removed" the movies from your computer, when Disney simply pulled them from the store? Your local copy has not been affected.

Why are people making such a huge deal out of something that is most likely an expired licensing deal and will probably be resolved soon?

Why are people blaming Tim Cook for this?

Unbelievable how quickly people will just start whining and claiming the end of the world and incorrectly pointing their fingers to blame someone. Pathetic in fact.

 

[tech4all]

Only the copies stored in the cloud are gone--what is on your drive stays on your drive. I don't blame Apple or Amazon--this sounds like something Disney would do--probably figured they were not making enough money from Apple or Amazon on these titles.

The actual link. I never store local copies of movies, TV shows, or music purchased from iTunes on my Mac ever. Except for iTunes Extras, since those can't be played anywhere BUT a Mac or PC still.

That said, I'm not worried. Digital movies are becoming more and more important in this industry so they can't afford to scare off customers by robbing their confidence of the cloud away, like it's doing right now in this thread.

I fully expect this issue to be resolved by both Apple and Disney swiftly and to have my movies back soon.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[alent1234]

Thats not the point of digital media. The point is to use something like an Apple TV or Raspberry Pi with XBMC. You then stream content to it from your Mac or online subscription accounts.

Out of the two choices physical media is the 'old' one.

way too much trouble, just pop in a disc and watch the movie. my kids even like the previews and trailers like me

 

[aced411]

i checked the Vudu forums since i have a bunch of ultraviolet movies and people are saying they can still stream these titles

sound like this is bad coding on apple's part. like having to set up a new phone as new to get the free ilife apps

It's not bad coding, Amazon is also effected. VUDU does not sell movies the same way as the other big players. When you buy from VUDU they guarantee you can stream the movie for as long as the service is available.

 

[bushido]

thats why i still buy physical media and will continue to do so ... among other reasons like a cheaper price

 

[G4DP]

How can they pull content that's been paid for? This is why I don't buy movies from iTunes or anywhere else as a download. I consider this THEFT and expect a class-action suit to be filed.

The formula is simple: I give you money for something you have; you give that something to me to own. If you take it back from me (especially without my knowledge), I expect you to give me my money back. Otherwise, it's called theft and there's laws for that.

What kind of world are we going to live when when companies let you buy stuff and they take it back. What is this? I give you money for nothing?

Again, I refuse to buy movies from downloaded sources for this reason alone. Ok, reason #2 is that the prices are too high.

You don't own it though. read the T&C's, you are purely paying for the to rent it from the iTunes store whilst it is there. Same with the music you buy. Unless you burn it to CD and re-import, you entire store-bought content can be removed at a whim by Apple.

This was brought into the public light last year.

 

[AllieNeko]

How can they pull content that's been paid for? This is why I don't buy movies from iTunes or anywhere else as a download. I consider this THEFT and expect a class-action suit to be filed.

It's not theft, it's what you paid for. You purchase a license to the content, and to stream it as long as it's available, not for eternity. If you want to keep it, at the least download it, and even then you don't have protection forever since it's still only as long as the license server is available.

I'll buy music since it's not encrypted, but no way would I buy movies on here. I have bought some TV shows available no other way, but I don't like doing so.

 

[roland.g]

Something else people don't consider. When a movie comes out on iTunes it is only available for purchase for some period of time, later also adding the rental option as studios don't want to cannibalize sales of new titles. However that rental period is not indefinite, as often titles are only available for purchase later down the line. So you if you put a movie in your wish list, thinking about renting it at some point, you may not find it in iTunes when you do go to rent it if you wait too long. Obviously there are other outlets: RedBox, Netflix, Netflix streaming, Amazon Prime, Xfinity, etc.

 

[FlatlinerG]

The issue isn't that they pulled it from the store, the issue is that they pulled it from the cloud for people who already purchased it without any warning.
I can't download content to keep on my Apple TV.
Why would I ever "buy" a movie on it again?

At the same time though, if I'm Disney I have the sole right of ownership over the content and can tell Apple to not provide this content in any way any longer.

Is it right? That's subjective. It's hard to place any blame when we don't know who made the end decision to remove it from your iTunes in the Cloud purchases.

Bottom line, in my opinion, is always that the end user or consumer should be educated and responsible at least to themselves to backup content like this. Why leave things like this to the decision of a company that has their best interests in mind over you and yours alone?

/rant

 

[Icaras]

Ever heard of the phrase "Disney Vault"?
Read up and then tell me, how much Disney really cares about you getting access to the videos.

I am fully aware of the vault, having gone through buying Disney movies from VHS, to DVD, to blu-ray, but so far that tradition has only been fully exercised in physical formats.

Movies and TV shows can ALWAYS be removed from the iTunes store to purchase, but the general policy on iTunes is that that purchase will remain on your iCloud account, even after being pulled from the store. This has already happened to some of the titles that I've owned on iTunes. They've been removed to buy or rent from the store, but it's still resides on my iCloud account for viewing.

If Disney were to pull movies back into the vault from iTunes, it doesn't mean they need to take away your purchases. Just for future purchases or renting.

 

[enselger]

The arrogance of these companies. If digital content can suddenly not exist neither should patents. Both are intangible.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Amazon did this same thing with the Kindle.

What I suspect is that this is to urge (bribe) people to buy the "Newly Released DVD/Blu-ray Combo Pack" when it's released. See Your Store Soon!!!

Note: I haven't checked whether the DVD/Blu-ray pack is currently out. I smell MONEY! I also smell children's tears and hear wailing and gnashing of numerous adult teeth...

But the 'fine print' says they *can* do this. Not that it's at all advisable and I hope for their sake there is a damn good explanation that is more than 'Buy the DVD/Blu-ray Combo Pack', or 'Because we can'.

 

[coolfactor]

How can they pull content that's been paid for? This is why I don't buy movies from iTunes or anywhere else as a download. I consider this THEFT and expect a class-action suit to be filed.

The formula is simple: I give you money for something you have; you give that something to me to own. If you take it back from me (especially without my knowledge), I expect you to give me my money back. Otherwise, it's called theft and there's laws for that.

What kind of world are we going to live when when companies let you buy stuff and they take it back. What is this? I give you money for nothing?

Again, I refuse to buy movies from downloaded sources for this reason alone. Ok, reason #2 is that the prices are too high.

I'm sure many others have already corrected you by now, but I'll do it, too. You never own art created by others, you purchase a license to "use" or "consume" it. In the pre-digital world, you owned by physical media, as no person or company could come and take that away from you, but in the digital era, unless you back up the files, they are not in your possession, you only have a license to enjoy them. That's what you paid for, and licenses can be terminated.

It is not theft, so don't spread this nonsense. Theft would be taking something that you own. So long as the files only live on Apple's servers and not in your home storage, then you have no rights to it outside of the license agreement.