Japan's Rakuten to Take on Netflix, Amazon's LoveFilm in Europe

"Oz the Great and Powerful" will be among the VOD offerings on the new European service.
COLOGNE, Germany – Japanese e-commerce group Rakuten is going head-to-head with VOD giants Netflix and Amazon's LoveFilm in Europe, announcing plans to roll out its video streaming service Wuaki.tv across the continent during the next two years.

Wuaki, the Spanish VOD platform that Rakuten acquired last year, plans to make the U.K. its first new European territory, with more to follow.

On its English-language Facebook page, Wuaki was offering early-bird U.K. subscribers its film and series streaming service for $4.50 (?2.99) a month. That compares to about $9 (?5.99) per month and $7.50 (?4.99) per month for Netflix and LoveFilm, respectively, in Britain.

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Wuaki said it will provide U.K. customers with thousands of hours of content, including titles from Disney, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. as well as local providers including the BBC. Highlights including Disney's Oz the Great and Powerful and cult BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who.

The U.K. market is one of the most attractive -- and crowded -- in Europe for VOD. In addition to Netflix and LoveFilm, British rivals such as pay-TV giant BSkyB and online catch-up offerings including the BBC's popular iPlayer service compete for user eyeballs. Technologically, Wuaki will start behind Netflix and LoveFilm as its beta service in Britain initially won't support mobile tablets or smart TVs.

It will be interesting to see where Wuaki goes after Britain. Scandinavia, with its rich, well-connected population, would be an obvious choice, but both Netflix and LoveFilm are already there, too. It's a similar story in the Netherlands, the next European territory on Netflix's hit list. In Germany, a potentially huge market, there is only LoveFilm and local competitors, including Maxdome, a VOD service run by German commercial TV giant ProSiebenSat.1.

France also is an option, but regulatory issues there, which require VOD services to hold back films a full two years after their theatrical release, have kept international players from plunging into that market.

Filmmaker Claims Netflix Committed 'Most Egregious Act Ever' by Distributor

In a new lawsuit against Netflix, a filmmaker and licensed attorney named T. Allen Chey asks a judge to allow The Hollywood Reporter to cover a trial "to prevent other innocent people from going through what Plaintiff went through."

As we await the judge's invite, Chey describes the "most egregious act ever committed by a film distributor."

Chey, who says he graduated from Harvard and USC, has an imagination when it comes to lawsuits. The subject of his real-life one is a film entitled Suing the Devil, starring Malcolm McDowell, Corbin Bersen, Rebecca St. James and Tom Sizemore about a law student who sues Satan for $8 trillion dollars.

Chey wants much less from Netflix -- at least $10 million -- over allegations of fraud, misrepresentation, unjust enrichment, copyright infringement, infliction of emotional distress and tortious interference.

In August 2011, the plaintiff implies that Netflix allowed its customers to put Suing the Devil in their queue.

"Plaintiff and his film team noticed Netflix put the film on its site with a 'SAVE' button, enticing it's [sic] customers, both old and new, to 'SAVE' the film," says the lawsuit. "What 'SAVE' means on Netflix, is when a film comes out on either DVD or streaming, that customer will get the film when it comes out later in the year."

Chey says his film was the top faith-based movie in theaters in August 2011, the best-selling movie on ChristianCinema.com, one of Wired Magazine's most anticipated summer films, that it made it into 33,000 Redboxes and was a hit on Walmart's on-demand site, Vudu.com.

But evidently, the film never made it on to Netflix, and so while Suing the Devil may have been a niche hit, it wasn't Saints and Soldiers, currently very popular on Netflix's network. And Netflix's advertisement (or whatever you want to call that invitation to SAVE) allegedly steered customers wrong.

The lawsuit says, "Plaintiff believes this action hurt theatrical sales as customers stated on Facebook and in person that they would 'wait until it comes out on Netflix.'"

Chey says Netflix never intended to license his film. He says he took it to them three times, and that Netflix passed. Each time added to his misery as "so many customers would have bought the DVD or paid for VOD had the customers known it would not be available on Netflix."

"Bait and dump" is the phrase used to describe Netflix' allegedly "horrific conduct."

In Chey's film, Satan shows up to defend himself with "eight of the world's best trial lawyers" in tow. No word on who Netflix is bringing to this fight. The company said it had no immediate comment on Chey's lawsuit, which at best will save the souls of the innocent, and at worst will score some free publicity.

Netflix Acquires Australian TV Series 'Mako Mermaids'

SYDNEY – Netflix has acquired the exclusive first run rights to Jonathan M. Shiff Productions’ live action kids series, Mako Mermaids for the USA/Canada, England, Ireland, Scandinavia, Benelux and Latin America.

Netflix will release the series simultaneously in those markets in line with the series' Australian premiere on Network Ten on July 26. ZDF Enterprises is the series' international distributor and ZDF will air the show in German-speaking territories.

The deal includes the exclusive premiere rights (outside of Australia) to the first season, including a first-run window, as well as a second season for the same territories.

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The show tells the tale of three mermaids who are tasked with protecting their magical Mako Island from trespassers, but are thwarted by the arrival of 16-year-old Zac. He acquires amazing powers and merman qualities. Threatened by his existence, the mermaid pod is forced to move away, abandoning the three young mermaids. In a bid for survival they must get legs, venture onto land, and take back Zac's powers -- or risk being outcasts forever.

A spin-off from the internationally successful series, H2O: Just Add Water, the 26 half-hour episode series is produced by Jonathan M. Shiff Productions, in association with Screen Australia, Network Ten, ZDF Enterprises and Screen Queensland, with assistance from Gold Coast City Council’s Business Gold Coast.

"This exclusive first-run deal, and Netflix’s commitment to the brand, is unprecedented -- not just for children’s, but for any Australian program. It is a game changer,” said executive producer Jonathan M. Shiff. “With the instant delivery of first-run series, as seen with their series House of Cards, Netflix is an exciting and prestigious platform.”

Screen Australia CEO Ruth Harley added: "This is an extremely significant deal for an Australian television program and reinforces that our children’s television sector is highly regarded internationally for the high-quality content it produces. There’s clearly an appetite for quality Australian children’s television content both at home and abroad."

Netflix is yet to launch its vod platform in Australia.