Wal-Mart Stores Inc. on Friday said it was not trying to dissuade movie studios from working with other forms of distribution, such as Apple Computer Inc.'s download service.

The New York Post reported on Friday that the world's largest retailer had warned Hollywood it may retaliate against studios for selling movies on iTunes, a move that could hurt Wal-Mart's DVD sales.

The Post story appears to be a rehashing of the mis-information that's been printed previously, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman said in a statement.

Customers want to watch movies and they want to be able to make the choice when and how they want to view them, the spokeswoman said. While we recognize there are various current and potential providers of this service, we are not dissuading studios from conducting business with other providers.

Apple and Walt Disney Co. announced plans earlier this month to sell movie downloads on iTunes.

Software Walmart ITunes Apple