Justice Department Warns Academy Over Potential Oscar Rule Changes Threatening Netflix
The Justice Department has warned the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that its potential rule changes limiting the eligibility of Netflix and other streaming services for the Oscars could raise antitrust concerns and violate competition law. [...] According to a letter obtained by Variety, the chief of the DOJ’s Antitrust Division, Makan Delrahim, wrote to AMPAS CEO Dawn Hudson on March 21 to express concerns that new rules would be written “in a way that tends to suppress competition.” [...]
The letter came in response to reports that Steven Spielberg, an Academy board member, was planning to push for rules changes to Oscars eligibility, restricting movies that debut on Netflix and other streaming services around the same time that they show in theaters. [...]
“if the Academy adopts a new rule to exclude certain types of films, such as films distributed via online streaming services, from eligibility for the Oscars, and that exclusion tends to diminish the excluded films’ sales, that rule could therefore violate Section 1.” [...]
The letter reflects concerns that the Justice Department has been concerned about the ability of traditional media outlets to limit competition from new streaming video entrants, even those that have grown significantly in recent years like Netflix and Amazon Prime. [...]
Now if only Netflix could replicate the true theater experience of cell phones, crying babies and being searched like a criminal.
(Score: 3, Touché) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday April 04 2019, @04:14PM (3 children)
Tell that to Paul Reubens.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Thursday April 04 2019, @04:20PM (2 children)
I'm sure his celebrity status drew attention. Things that would be just ignored for normal people aren't when celebrities do them.
It's also the reason the dumbest possible thing you can do if you're a famous person being arrested for something is say "Don't you know who I am? I'm a senator/celebrity/CEO!" Because of course somebody will immediately call the local paper with "Hey, I have a great story for you!"
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday April 04 2019, @05:18PM
I should start saying that then. Confuse them while I make a break for it.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Thursday April 04 2019, @08:01PM
The dumbest possible thing? You get free press coverage!
Indeed, I wouldn't be surprised if some celebrities do such things intentionally for the press coverage.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.