It looks like Steve Jobs can't boss everyone around. According to Think Secret, Apple will announce in early August a new service through its iTunes store, movie rentals. Apple has reportedly been in negotiations with multiple studios for months to provide movie downloads, but if this news is true, Jobs has been bested by Hollywood.

Think Secret said Apple will announce deals with Walt Disney, Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, and Warner Bros. Is this an important step for Apple? Absolutely. Is it also a slap in the face? I think so. The studios are selling download-to-own copies all over the place, with new deals being announced all the time. Apple HAD to get into this game, and if these rumors are true, they're going to be selling (or renting) an inferior product. Many people, including myself, believed that Apple's entré into the online movie distribution business would be a stabilizing force for the market. If this rumor is true, the shakeout is going to take much longer, and my money will not be on Apple to be the last man standing.

In fact, if this rumor is true I don't think you can even consider Apple a competitor to MovieLink, Guba, Cinemanow and BitTorrent, its main competition will probably be Netflix (especially if Netflix includes portability in its future plans.) — Brian Ward

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