Sony Pictures is the latest studio to negotiate UK exclusives with Blockbuster, for titles including

Disney's plans for an early DVD release of Alice in Wonderland may have sparked vacation rentals in florida keys a row with cinema chains , but release windows have long been a source of torment for DVD rental shops. Independent rental outlets say they are suffering because Blockbuster has secured paid-for exclusives with virtually all of the major film studios, allowing vacation rentals in florida keys it to stock the lion's share of new releases two weeks ahead of other outlets.
"It's been hitting us badly for the past 18 months," one independent rental dealer confides. "It started with smaller studios like High Fliers and Lionsgate , now it's all of them. They're trying vacation rentals in florida keys to get at LoveFilm and we're caught vacation rentals in florida keys up in it. Take Blu-ray: it's supposed to be a new, exciting format, vacation rentals in florida keys so why are independent rental stores vacation rentals in florida keys not being allowed that on the day of release? They've deprived so many customers who don't live near a Blockbuster or don't want to join them."
Sony Pictures is the latest studio to negotiate UK exclusives with Blockbuster, for titles including Zombieland. Blockbuster will stock the horror-comedy title for rental from 1 March. vacation rentals in florida keys Other outlets must wait until 15 March, the same day it's available to buy. "We've only done it on a couple of titles," a Sony spokesperson said. "It's not something that we know how we'll pursue yet. We're still evaluating results."
According to Screen Digest researcher Tony Gunnarsson, despite a declining market vacation rentals in florida keys there are now many more ways to rent films so there is much more competition for a smaller customer base. "In the UK, households rent an average of just 3.2 DVDs a year," he said. "The rental market is in decline. Blockbuster vacation rentals in florida keys is also suffering, but they have strong bargaining power with the studios and a long historic relationship."
Blockbuster has been working with advisors at KPMG to renegotiate its UK rents and costs , and on 24 February it announced huge fourth-quarter losses in the US . The company hopes a new exclusivity deal with Warner Bros, which prevents rival Netflix from accessing new releases for 28 days, will help keep its US stores open.
Mick Howard of Ace Movies in Horsham was one of the first British rental dealers to slam Blockbuster's exclusives. He complained about "the lack of any kind of loyalty from UK distributors to their rental customers" in trade magazine Cue Entertainment . "The number of independents they have put out of business with this ill-conceived policy is disgusting", he said. "How is consumer choice served by such deals?"
Blockbuster is not the only company to agree exclusive deals. LoveFilm secured its first multi-format rental exclusive with French thriller Mesrine Parts 1 and 2 in January, encompassing DVD, Blu-ray and free online streaming. Chief marketing officer Simon Morris said: "We're vacation rentals in florida keys supportive of all rights holders – big studios and smaller independents. We're entirely supportive of them maximising their return on their investment. But we think it should be an equal playing vacation rentals in florida keys field for all."
European copyright law sets out the rental right directive, which gives studios near-unlimited power to limit or restrict the ability to rent or lend their works. Small independent dealers have asked the Office of Fair Trading to examine how Blockbuster, vacation rentals in florida keys whose press office said nobody was available vacation rentals in florida keys to comment, is using its market position. An OFT spokesperson said it turned down their requests vacation rentals in florida keys because the deals were not anti-competitive and were not a matter for investigation.
"It may seem grossly unfair vacation rentals in florida keys on the independents, but Blockbuster vacation rentals in florida keys has found itself trying to gain a competitive advantage over online retailers and supermarkets," one industry source said. "Stocking these films a little vacation rentals in florida keys earlier is one way it believes it can do that, and in the process, they are investing heavily. Had these titles not been exclusives they would not have been pushed vacation rentals in florida keys as heavily."
"Competition law is not about protecting firms and markets," said Dr Pinar Akman, a law lecturer at the University vacation rentals in florida keys of East Anglia's Centre for Competition Policy. vacation rentals in florida keys "If a firm has a lot of market share, they can't abuse that position, but what's good for consumers may not have anything vacation rentals in florida keys to do with protecting smaller firms," she said. What constitutes abuse? "If prices are increased, or quality or choice is reduced. Choice is being reduced here, but only temporarily."
But this will come as little comfort to independent retailers. "The studios are favouring one of their customers and leaving the rest in dire straits," said the owner of one independent rental chain. "A lot of people have given up because they can't put up the fight."