Twentieth Century Fox & Apple Introduce iTunes Digital Copy

[hugh]

from press release

MACWORLD SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Twentieth Century Fox and Apple(R) today announced Digital Copy for iTunes(R), which provides customers who purchase a DVD with an additional Digital Copy of the movie. Just like movies purchased from the iTunes Store, an iTunes Digital Copy can effortlessly be transferred to iTunes and then viewed on a PC or Mac(R), iPod(R) with video, iPhone(TM) or on Apple TV(R).

The first DVD to make its debut with iTunes Digital Copy is the Special Edition DVD premiere of the Family Guy "Star Wars" parody, "Family Guy Presents: Blue Harvest," which is being released in stores today. Fox and Apple are planning to deliver many more DVDs with iTunes Digital Copy this year.

[hugh]

continued

"One of the most requested features DVD buyers have been asking for is the ability to get the movies they bought into their iTunes library," said Jim Gianopulos, chairman and chief executive officer of Fox Filmed Entertainment. "We're thrilled to offer such an incredibly simple way for our customers to get even more out of their DVD purchase, and we look forward to releasing many more DVDs this year with iTunes Digital Copy."

"Now movie fans can easily transfer a free copy of the movie they purchase on DVD into iTunes," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "DVDs containing an iTunes Digital Copy allow movie fans to get a copy of their movie which can be viewed on a computer, iPod, iPhone or on Apple TV."

The new iTunes Digital Copy provides a consumer friendly way to transfer a DVD purchase to a user's iTunes library. Once a customer buys the DVD, they insert it into their computer, enter a unique code into iTunes and iTunes automatically copies the movie to their iTunes library within minutes. Customers own the iTunes Digital Copy of the movie and it has all of the same great viewing options as other iTunes Store video content, including the ability to be viewed on a computer, iPod with video, iPhone and Apple TV. Each DVD will only transfer its iTunes Digital Copy to one iTunes library.

One of the world's largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, Fox Filmed Entertainment produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of FFE: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox Atomic, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation. FFE also includes Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming on VHS, DVD, Blu-ray Disc (BD) and Digital Copy as well as acquisitions and original productions.

[PokerChip]

As was mentioned in other threads, this is useful and interesting news, but I'm so tired t be taunted with this movie download business when we Canadians can't access it.

Definitely a step in the right direction. We are seeing Sony aligning itself for a similar way of handling things. It's only a matter of time before movie downloads come to the PSN store, and this week, we have seen news about the upcoming possibility for the PS3 to convert Blu-Ray movies to be portable on a PSP.

It's rather obvious Sony doesn't to lose this war the way it did with music downloads. They once reigned supreme with the Walkman and completely missed the boat with MP3 players.

They won't repeat that same mistake.

Now, Apple, negociate those rights with Canadian distributors already!!!

[hugh]

You can't blame Apple for this. The problems stem with the rules of the Canadian government and the way the Studios market and sell their product in different countries.

For Apple, offering this in Canada is a time consuming and by extension expensive process. (Getting all the rights in place etc) I'm sure they will get here eventually but I think it important you place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the studios and government.