Business

Amazon scratches Disney DVDs in fee fight

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has landed in another fight with a supplier — and this time it’s a big one.

The online retail giant has halted pre-orders for DVDs and Blu-rays of blockbuster movies from Walt Disney, including “Captain America: Winter Soldier” and “Maleficent,” in what appears to be another contract dispute.

Neither Disney nor Amazon immediately responded to requests for comment.

Amazon’s move is reminiscent of a standoff earlier this summer with Warner Bros., the Hollywood studio owned by Time Warner, in which Amazon halted pre-orders of discs of “The Lego Movie.”

Amazon’s Bezos — who has ruthlessly squeezed manufacturers on price in a manner similar to Walmart — made the hard-knuckle move to win favorable terms, according to reports.

Amazon has reached an accord with Warner Bros. to end the dispute, according to media outlets.

Meanwhile, Amazon has been locked in a battle against Hachette, publisher of authors including Scott Patterson and J.K. Rowling, over the price of e-books.

Amazon says pricing e-books at $12.99 or 14.99 is too expensive.

It argues that e-books sell more copies at $9.99, which in turn ultimately generates more revenue and more royalties for authors.

Many writers, however, aren’t buying the Amazon argument.

On Sunday, a group called Authors United ran a two-page ad in the New York Times, blasting Amazon for halting pre-orders of some Hachette titles and slowing delivery from some Hachette authors.

The ad was signed by more than 900 writers, including Stephen King and Donna Tartt.