Everything fares well towards Sony when talking about high-def format wars. Most of us already know about Blockbuster's stance on selling Blu-rays exclusively, or Blu-ray outselling HD-DVD five to one. It's almost a perfect stage for Sony to dominate this generation like what VHS did to Betamax. European antitrust regulators, however, have their eyes on what could be happening behind the curtains.

Sony Pictures Entertainment, Walt Disney Co., Twentieth Century Fox, Lions Gate Entertainment, and MGM offer full exclusive support to Sony's format. Pretty much every major studio except Universal Pictures have their money on the leading horse. Universal Pictures gives love only to HD-DVD, while Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. aren't taking sides.

"The commission is investigating whether improper tactics were used to suppress competition and persuade the studios to back their format," reports the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). Commission spokesman Jonathan Todd testified that they have been sending letters to Hollywood studios in an attempt to gather evidence.

According to WSJ, "The HD DVD camp has been lobbying the commission to draw attention to Blu-ray's tactics in the movie capital in a bid to force more studios to put their product on HD DVD, according to people familiar with the situation."

More on the investigation should come up as competition heats up, with holiday season coming and sales expected to skyrocket. We'll keep you posted on any new discoveries and revelations, so watch this space.