Zero2Cool
13 years ago
Shut up and increase the streaming library!!

Dear Kevin,

I messed up. I owe you an explanation.

It is clear from the feedback over the past two months that many members felt we lacked respect and humility in the way we announced the separation of DVD and streaming and the price changes. That was certainly not our intent, and I offer my sincere apology. Let me explain what we are doing.

For the past five years, my greatest fear at Netflix has been that we wouldn't make the leap from success in DVDs to success in streaming. Most companies that are great at something – like AOL dialup or Borders bookstores – do not become great at new things people want (streaming for us). So we moved quickly into streaming, but I should have personally given you a full explanation of why we are splitting the services and thereby increasing prices. It wouldn’t have changed the price increase, but it would have been the right thing to do.

So here is what we are doing and why.

Many members love our DVD service, as I do, because nearly every movie ever made is published on DVD. DVD is a great option for those who want the huge and comprehensive selection of movies.

I also love our streaming service because it is integrated into my TV, and I can watch anytime I want. The benefits of our streaming service are really quite different from the benefits of DVD by mail. We need to focus on rapid improvement as streaming technology and the market evolves, without maintaining compatibility with our DVD by mail service.

So we realized that streaming and DVD by mail are really becoming two different businesses, with very different cost structures, that need to be marketed differently, and we need to let each grow and operate independently.

It’s hard to write this after over 10 years of mailing DVDs with pride, but we think it is necessary: In a few weeks, we will rename our DVD by mail service to “Qwikster”. We chose the name Qwikster because it refers to quick delivery. We will keep the name “Netflix” for streaming.

Qwikster will be the same website and DVD service that everyone is used to. It is just a new name, and DVD members will go to qwikster.com to access their DVD queues and choose movies. One improvement we will make at launch is to add a video games upgrade option, similar to our upgrade option for Blu-ray, for those who want to rent Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 games. Members have been asking for video games for many years, but now that DVD by mail has its own team, we are finally getting it done. Other improvements will follow. A negative of the renaming and separation is that the Qwikster.com and Netflix.com websites will not be integrated.

There are no pricing changes (we’re done with that!). If you subscribe to both services you will have two entries on your credit card statement, one for Qwikster and one for Netflix. The total will be the same as your current charges. We will let you know in a few weeks when the Qwikster.com website is up and ready.

For me the Netflix red envelope has always been a source of joy. The new envelope is still that lovely red, but now it will have a Qwikster logo. I know that logo will grow on me over time, but still, it is hard. I imagine it will be similar for many of you.

I want to acknowledge and thank you for sticking with us, and to apologize again to those members, both current and former, who felt we treated them thoughtlessly.

Both the Qwikster and Netflix teams will work hard to regain your trust. We know it will not be overnight. Actions speak louder than words. But words help people to understand actions.

Respectfully yours,

-Reed Hastings, Co-Founder and CEO, Netflix


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Nonstopdrivel
13 years ago
I wonder how long it will be before Quickstar moves in with a trademark-infringement suit. heh
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wpr
  • wpr
  • Preferred Member
13 years ago
thanks for the update.
He sure has a patronizing attitude doesn't he?
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wpr
  • wpr
  • Preferred Member
13 years ago
This letter also explains a comment I heard from a postal employee. he said that netflix was the current single larger user of the mail today. And that they were wanting to get out of the dvd/mail delivery system all together.

They did so by changing their name. Rumors are not always accurate.
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Formo
13 years ago
Before I go off-topic...

Nice. I didn't have a problem with their first announcement anyway, but it's still nice that they are being proactive with both streaming and DVD delivery. With this division, hopefully this means they end up with a better integrated, higher quality, and more selection with the Netflix.com streaming option.

I wonder how long it will be before Quickstar moves in with a trademark-infringement suit. heh

Originally Posted by: Nonstopdrivel 



Quixtar is now officially Amway. They both have been owned by the same company, Alticor, but Amway was the global catalog marketing company many people remember and Quixtar was the North America-based online 'version' of Amway.

Unless you are talking about a completely different Quickstar. 🙂
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Thanks to TheViking88 for the sig!!
Nonstopdrivel
13 years ago
Fuck, I misspelled Quixtar. Thanks for pointing it out. They still seem to hold the trademark, though, since it seems inextricably intertwined with Amway on websites.
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Formo
13 years ago

Fuck, I misspelled Quixtar. Thanks for pointing it out. They still seem to hold the trademark, though, since it seems inextricably intertwined with Amway on websites.

Originally Posted by: Nonstopdrivel 



Yeah, don't know the legality of their ownership of the name/trademark of Quixtar, so I guess technically they COULD go into legal battles with Quikster if they still hold the name/trademark. Not sure how likely it is to happen, though.
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Thanks to TheViking88 for the sig!!
Zero2Cool
13 years ago
The names are spelled differently, correct? I don't think they can argue about it legally.
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Nonstopdrivel
13 years ago
There have been plenty of cases in which companies were taken to court for trademark infringement for using similar but not identical trademarks. There is a reason why the University of Georgia licenses their "G" from the Packers -- to avoid just such a possibility. The suing company doesn't have to prove that the trademarks are identical, only that they are similar enough (visually, sonically, etc.) that customers could reasonably be expected to confuse them. I am sure Wade could explain this in better detail than I can.
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Zero2Cool
13 years ago

There have been plenty of cases in which companies were taken to court for trademark infringement for using similar but not identical trademarks. There is a reason why the University of Georgia licenses their "G" from the Packers -- to avoid just such a possibility. The suing company doesn't have to prove that the trademarks are identical, only that they are similar enough (visually, sonically, etc.) that customers could reasonably be expected to confuse them. I am sure Wade could explain this in better detail than I can.

Originally Posted by: Nonstopdrivel 



Hey, I can pretend to know it all too! But I won't use Wiki as my resource. 😳

I've been taken to court several times and that doesn't mean I was guilty, nor should it. Same applies to "plenty of cases" where companies have been "taken to court" over trademark infringement. So what if there were many companies taken to court, look at Apple, they've been making courts busy for years. Doesn't mean they have a legit case or are going to win them all. It's a scare tactic, which, I think is working.

Even in your example, it goes more to my point. It was the logo design that was being infringed on potentially, not the name. Georgia wanted to use a similar logo design with different colors, thus, they requested legal permission to do so. They did not want to be the Green Bay Bulldogs with a Red Packers G logo, lol.

Quixtar and Qwikster. The organization names are different, what about the logo design? As of now, Quixtar would not win a case according to the letter of the trademark infringement law.


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Best I could find... I don't think there's gonna be a case over this. Then again, this countries court system has allowed a burglar to sue the victim successfully, so who know?? lol
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packerfanoutwest (2h) : both games Watson missed, Packers won
Martha Careful (3h) : I hope all of you have a Merry Christmas!
Mucky Tundra (13h) : Oh I know about Jacobs, I just couldn't pass up an opportunity to mimic Zero lol
buckeyepackfan (13h) : Jacobs was just sat down, Watson re-injured that knee that kept him out 1 game earlier
buckeyepackfan (14h) : I needed .14 that's. .14 points for the whole 4th quarter to win and go to the SB. Lol
Mucky Tundra (14h) : Jacobs gonna be OK???
Zero2Cool (14h) : Watson gonna be OK???
packerfanoutwest (17h) : Inactives tonight for the Pack: Alexander- knee Bullard - ankle Williams - quad Walker -ankle Monk Heath
packerfanoutwest (17h) : No Jaire, but hopefully the front 7 destroys the line of scrimmage & forces Rattler into a few passes to McKinney.
packerfanoutwest (18h) : minny could be #1 seed and the Lions #5 seed
Zero2Cool (20h) : We'd have same Division and Conference records. Strength of schedule we edge them
Zero2Cool (20h) : I just checked. What tie breaker?
bboystyle (20h) : yes its possible but unlikely. If we do get the 5th, we face the NFCS winner
Zero2Cool (20h) : Ahh, ok.
bboystyle (20h) : yes due to tie breaker
Zero2Cool (20h) : I mean, unlikely, yes, but mathematically, 5th is possible by what I'm reading.
Zero2Cool (20h) : If Vikings lose out, Packers win out, Packers get 5th, right?
bboystyle (20h) : Minny isnt going to lose out so 5th seed is out of the equation. We are playing for the 6th or 7th seed which makes no difference
Mucky Tundra (21h) : beast, the ad revenue goes to the broadcast company but they gotta pay to air the game on their channel/network
beast (22h) : If we win tonight the game is still relative in terms of 5th, 6th or 7th seed... win and it's 5th or 6th, lose and it's 6th or 7th
beast (22h) : Mucky, I thought the ad revenue went to the broadcasting companies or the NFL, at least not directly
Zero2Cool (22h) : I think the revenue share is moot, isn't it? That's the CBA an Salary Cap handling that.
bboystyle (22h) : i mean game becomes irrelevant if we win tonight. Just a game where we are trying to play spoilers to Vikings chance at the #1 seed
Mucky Tundra (22h) : beast, I would guess ad revenue from more eyes watching tv
Zero2Cool (22h) : I would think it would hurt the home team because people would have to cancel last minute maybe? i dunno
beast (23h) : I agree that it's BS for fans planning on going to the game. But how does it bring in more money? I'm guessing indirectly?
packerfanoutwest (23h) : bs on flexing the game....they do it for the $$league$$, not the hometown fans
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : I see what you did there Mucky
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : dammit. 3:25pm
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : Packers Vikings flexed to 3:35pm
Mucky Tundra (23-Dec) : Upon receiving the news about Luke Musgrave, I immediately fell to the ground
Mucky Tundra (23-Dec) : Yeah baby!
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : LUKE MUSGRAVE PLAYING TONIGHT~!~~~~WOWHOAAOHAOAA yah
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : I wanna kill new QB's ... blitz the crap out of them.
beast (23-Dec) : Barry seemed to get too conservative against new QBs, Hafley doesn't have that issue
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : However, we seem to struggle vs new QB's
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : Should be moot point, cuz Packers should win tonight.
packerfanoutwest (23-Dec) : ok I stand corrected
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : Ok, yes, you are right. I see that now how they get 7th
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : 5th - Packers win out, Vikings lose out. Maybe?
beast (23-Dec) : Saying no to the 6th lock.
beast (23-Dec) : No, with the Commanders beating the Eagles, Packers could have a good chance of 6th or 7th unless the win out
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : I think if Packers win, they are locked 6th with chance for 5th.
beast (23-Dec) : But it doesn't matter, as the Packers win surely win one of their remaining games
beast (23-Dec) : This is not complex, just someone doesn't want to believe reality
beast (23-Dec) : We already have told you... if Packers lose all their games (they won't, but if they did), and Buccaneers and Falcons win all theirs
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : I posted it in that Packers and 1 seed thread
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : I literally just said it.
packerfanoutwest (23-Dec) : show us a scenario where Pack don't get in? bet you can't
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : Falcons, Buccaneers would need to win final two games.
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