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News in Brief

REPORTS have come in about a law suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by Warner Home Video alleging that IWMB Inc was subcontracted to dispose of excess WHV DVDs and Blu-rays but sold them "to one or more third parties, with the knowledge that those third parties would subsequently resell the product at a price lower than prevailing wholesale and retail prices."

A NEW SURVEY indicates Netflix DVD rentals are still the most popular option for consumers, even though streaming content is becoming popular. According to the survey, 20% of 700 participants said they weren’t Netflix subscribers, but planned to sign up for a subscription before 2010. As such, 68% said “the ability to watch videos on the Internet vs. renting from a physical store or by mail” didn’t matter. Just 6% noted streaming capabilities were important, the All Things Digital survey reported.

BLU-RAY discs boasting the online capability known as BD Live now number over 100, according to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE), which is responsible for more BD Live titles than any other publisher.

ALONGSIDE an Apple TV expected to be released in the next few months, it’s possible an Apple television is in the future for the popular PC manufacturer. According to Piper Jaffray senior research analyst Gene Munster, an Apple-branded “connected television” could be available as soon as 2011. The Apple TV set-top box has been met with a high level of criticism — which is reflected in the device’s rather dismal sales. Launching a complete television would provide Apple a way to increase iTunes video purchases using a subscription model, Munster said in his note.

BLOCKBUSTER has announced plans to bring its struggling movie business to mobile phones, announcing the new onDemand service that will first debut on select Motorola handsets. The new onDemand service will offer “thousands” of movies to Motorola phone owners, and aims to provide users the ability to access movies anywhere, any time.

SHOREWOOD Packaging, a business of International Paper, has received additional Chain-of-Custody Certifications from the internationally-recognised certification standards - the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). Its production facilities in Guangzhou, China and Toronto, Canada are the fourth and fifth Shorewood facilities to be certified.