Lionsgate to offer iTunes Digital Copy on select films

Apple and Lionsgate have announced plans to offer iTunes Digital Copy versions of films on select upcoming DVD and Blu-ray releases. iTunes Digital Copy, which first debuted via a partnership between Apple and Twentieth Century Fox, provides customers who purchase a DVD or Blu-ray disc with an additional, iTunes-compatible digital copy of the movie. The first Lionsgate DVDs to offer the iTunes Digital Copy will be the special edition DVD and Blu-ray releases of “Rambo” and “The Eye,” which will be released May 27 and later this summer, respectively. Lionsgate and Apple plan to ship numerous additional Lionsgate films on DVD with iTunes Digital Copy later this year. “Digital Copy for iTunes is a perfect example of how packaged media and new digital technology can work hand in hand for the benefit of our consumers,” said Steve Beeks, President and co-Chief Operating Officer of Lionsgate. “Building on our longstanding partnership with Apple, Digital Copy for iTunes is yet another innovation designed to provide the consumer with added value while continuing to expand our range of home entertainment choices.” “We’re excited that Lionsgate is delivering so many of their great films on DVD and Blu-ray with an iTunes Digital Copy,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes. “Now movie fans can easily transfer a copy of many Lionsgate films onto iTunes and bring it with them on their iPod or iPhone.”