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Amazon will no longer sell streaming video devices made by competitors Apple and Google in an effort to "avoid customer confusion."Jeff Bezos's company has emailed third-party merchants alerting them that all listings of Apple and Google streaming video devices, including the Apple TV and Chromecast, must be removed from Amazon. No new listings are being allowed, and any existing inventory must be removed by October 29.Amazon's reasoning for the removal of Apple's and Google's streaming video devices is that they're not compatible with Instant Video, the company's homegrown streaming video service. "It's important that the streaming media players we sell interact well with Prime Video in order to avoid customer confusion," Amazon told merchants.Amazon makes a variety of streaming video devices, including the Fire TV and Fire TV stick.Roku, whose streaming video devices are compatible with Amazon's Instant Video service, will still be available on Amazon after the October 29 deadline, Amazon said.Amazon is estimated to account for 23 percent of online retail in the US, while online retail as a whole is estimated to account for 7 percent of all US retail sales.Will Amazon attract unwanted attention from Department of Justice lawyers by refusing to sell the Apple TV and Google Chromecast? It's perhaps too early to speculate, but for Amazon to get in trouble it would require proving the company is unduly limiting consumer choice.
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