Rent Fox films via iTunes

Blockbuster for your iPod

By John Oates • Get more from this author

Posted in Music and Media, 28th December 2007 12:08 GMT

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More details are emerging of the deal to make Fox films and TV shows available for rent through Apple's iTunes service.

The deal will mean you can rent digital copies of the latest Fox releases for a limited time.

Apple has reportedly spent months trying to get Hollywood studios to back the rental plan but only Rupert Murdoch's Fox has so far agreed. Disney is the only studio which allows digital sales of new releases while the other majors only release older films.

Studios remain concerned about pricing and increasing piracy, according to the Times. Several Fox TV shows are already available to buy on iTunes.

Details of pricing and whether all new releases will be available remain unclear. But pricing will need to be competitve because Apple and Fox are competing with several other services like Amazon's Unbox service.

Sales of video content on iTunes have been slower than hoped. The deal would also boost the Apple TV device which has not sold well.

Fox will also release DVDs using Apple's Digital Rights Management system so that customers will be have limited rights to put films onto iPods or computers.

Full details of the service are expected to be announced at MacWorld which begins 14 January. The New York Times predicts other studios will also be on stage for the launch.

More from the Times, and The New York Times.

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