NO FAIRYTALE

Europe to Sue Disney, Sony and NBC

Antitrust violations.

The EU has opened an antitrust case against major American movie studios that prevent a British satellite broadcaster from showing their movies outside the U.K. and Ireland. Issues about “contractual restrictions” apply to Disney, NBCUniversal, Paramount Pictures, Sony, Twentieth Century Fox, and Warner Bros. If confirmed, “the clauses would constitute a serious violation of EU rules that prohibit anticompetitive agreements,” according to an EU statement. “European consumers want to watch the pay-TV channels of their choice regardless of where they live or travel in the EU,” the European Commission’s antitrust chief said. “Our investigation shows that they cannot do this today.”