Following similar deals inthe UK and Scandinavia, Universal Pictures has struck a deal to offerdownload-to-own movies in France.

Universal Pictures VideoFrance is partnerning with TF1 Vision to offer a"three-copy" download service. For a price of $12.54 to $25.08 (Euros 9.99 toEuros 19.99) consumers will get one digital copy for their PC or laptop, onefor a portable device and also a hard-copy DVD in the post.

The service will launch July6 at TF1 Vision with more than 40 titlessuch as The Bourne Identity, 8 Mile and Scarface.More than 150 films will be on offer by the end of the year, including anAugust 1 launch for King Kong, tocoincide with the DVD release in France.

"Universal is very proud tobe the first in France to launch this download-to-own model in partnership with TF1 Vision,particularly headlined by a film of the calibre of King Kong," said auline Grimaldi d'Esdra, managingdirector of Universal Video France. Download-to-own has the potential tocompletely revolutionise the way people watch movies. The entertainmentindustry is changing rapidly, with the introduction of new delivery channels toconsumers and an emphasis on instant access. We are delighted to enable morepeople to access Universal content in such unique and flexible way."