The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Hewlett-Packard has signed a deal with Sony Pictures that will allow customers to request DVDs from the studio’s library. This will primarily benefit  those looking for the rare and obscure film that can’t be found at your local Best Buy.

 Jason Spivak, head of strategic development at SonyHE told the Times “We’re hoping this provides another option to make available products that wouldn’t necessarily garner widespread retail shelf space.” This goes along with the fact that HP is hoping to sign similar deals elsewhere, “if studios can sell more catalog than previously, they can generate more money.” That’s the key to getting others to join up. If Sony is successful then other studios could follow along making that obscure copy of North more accessible.

This development is one of many recent that allows more consumer control over the content they are able to access. Sales would most likely fall under the same revenue sharing as regular DVD sales made online by companies such as amazon or barnesandnoble.com but it only further blurs the line of internet revenue and traditional sources that the WGA and others have been fighting hard to get more revenues from. With the age of unlimited on-demand access to all forms of content emerging, deals like this one where the tech company becomes the middle-man are going to be more common than ever before.


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