Warner Bros delays Malcolm X release....

[Guydowood]

from thedigitalbits

Warner has just released a statement saying that the previously-announced 1/25 Blu-ray release of Malcolm X has been delayed because of a music clearance issue. All parties are apparently working toward a resolution, but until that happens WHV is no longer distributing the title. Hopefully, the situation will get resolved soon.

[Arkitect76]

no wonder my preorded was cancelled last week...

[RippdBD10101]

Thats Lame.

[Adrock]

Originally Posted by RippdBD10101

Thats Lame.

Indeed.

I find it odd they didn't make sure they had the rights before production and the announcements began.

[HD Goofnut]

Someone always wants to make an extra buck with a lawsuit.

[thelittleprince]

I guess I won't be upgrading my VHS copy any time soon.

[BillieCassin]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

Someone always wants to make an extra buck with a lawsuit.

Yeah, that's the only way something like this could happen.

Music Rights issues are quite common for TV releases because when many shows were originally broadcast and obtained the rights to certain music they only covered broadcast rights. So Murphy Brown can keep signing Motown all she wants on television for eternity, but when you burn it to a disc and sell it, it's a new type of media and doesn't fall under the broadcast license which is why the only way to use it is to negotiate and pay again, or not include the music.

For films, though, this should not be an issue. Film synchronization rights are far differently structured than television, and always have been. It's pretty much unheard of to have this issue with a studio film, especially a modern one like this. Those rights should be locked up for any type of distribution of the film, regardless of format (again, unlike television which only traditionally covered broadcast).

That's why this had to be a very unusual situation. And since you can't sign away rights and then just claim them back for no good reason, the only thing I can think of is that whomever granted the rights in the first place somehow lost them (or their original ownership was somehow invalidated), and whomever is the true holder, and the current one, presumably, saw this was coming out and decided to cash in.

That said, if that's the case I don't blame them - I'd really be curious to find out the details of this one, because it had to be something very odd and very last minute for this to happen when those discs are already in a warehouse ready to go.