Was the sudden unavailability of one of the most popular streaming media players linked to the Kodi craze sweeping the nation?

Or was it due to the pending release of the new Amazon Fie TV Stick Alexa voice remote model?

Kodi is a free, open-source platform that can run on any computer, smartphone, tablet or set-top box, allowing users to stream films, TV programmes and sporting events over the internet.

Android-enabled devices, such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick, are the most common source of Kodi due to their low costs and easy retail accessibility. 

The Kodi player allows users to stream media content from any wifi enabled device to their TV without the need for a Smart TV.

Read more: A quick guide to the media player that's taking the country by storm

But something very odd happened on Tuesday and Wednesday this week with the Amazon Fire Tv Stick - you couldn't buy one. 

Not in a shop. Not online. Not even on Amazon. 

The product is usually available from many popular high street and online retailers. But there wasn't a single shop in Glasgow or beyond that had any in stock for immediate purchase or collection - not even across the border in England. 

Glasgow Times:

You could still order a Fire TV Stick, you just had to be prepared to wait between 4-6 days for delivery or collection.

It's usually only during the festive season that the popular streaming product exceeds customer demand.

A message on the official product page on Amazon states that the Fire TV Stick is "currently unavailable" and that "We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock."

Glasgow Times:

Amazon is set to release the new Fire TV Stick with Alexa voice remote on April 6 and they may have simply decided to discontinue the one they've now labelled as "previous generation" on their website.

At £39.99 the new streaming stick only costs a fiver more than the previous one and icomes with a Quad-core processor - it does make sense. 

Read more: The best Kodi add-ons you CAN use without breaking copyright laws

Has the ever-increasing rise of Kodi caused a spike in sales that nobody was prepared for?

Kodi is just a media player, it carries no content, and is completely legal to use.

But it has the ability to run third-party plugins enabling users to stream, download and obtain copyrighted content.

Glasgow Times:

Kodi is very easy to install on Android-enabled devices like the Amazon Fire TV Stick and is completely legal to do so.

It's how you use it and what you watch that tests the boundaries of breaching copyright. 

FACT is the UK’s leading intellectual property protection organisation and cliams that, "if you are accessing premium pay-for content, like Sky, BT Sport and Virgin Media, and you do not have a subscription with an official provider then this is unlawful access."

It's unclear exactly what law you would be breaking.

Read more: If you paid for the content on your Kodi, you need to read this

If you were to download an illegally copied file, that would constitute copyright infringement, but, when you stream something online, the file is stored only temporarily on your computer - and temporary copies are exempt from copyright laws.

On Thursday, several high street retailers in Glasgow either had or were  expecting stock of the Fire Tv Stick.

Glasgow Times:

A spokesman contacted The Evening Times on behalf of Amazon contacted to confirm that the Fire TV Stick is unavailable due to the pending release of the new Alexa model released on April 6.