Cinemas to Disney: Up yours

You may have noticed the interesting debate about the proposed UK and Ireland DVD release of Up.

To the outrage of exhibitors whose cinemas were still showing the Pixar film, Disney threatened to propel the DVD into shops before Christmas. This would mean shortening the accepted four-month window between theatrical and home release down to a mere two months. Some cinema chains, understandably aggrieved, threatened to pull Disney's A Christmas Carolfrom their screens unless the Mouse House changed its mind.

Sure enough, in a rare move for the movie giant, Disney relented and went back to its original plans for a February release. Most reports have simultaneously applauded the exhibitors for standing up to a behemoth and bemoaned the fact that kids (and adults, for that matter) couldn't get hold of Upfor Christmas.

But surely everyone's missing the real story. If Disney would just follow usual industry practice and release Pixar's films at the same time in Europe as America – or, at least, roughly the same time – then the problem would never have arisen. Uphad been in American cinemas for four months before appearing in our territory. Why?