Sales

Guns don't kill people, it's true. Bullets do. "Without ammo, a handgun is only good for pistol-whipping someone," notes Assemblyman Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles). "Ammo is the lifeblood of a handgun." On Sept. 11, the last day of this year's regular legislative session, De Leon narrowly won final passage of a bill to regulate sales of handgun ammunition. The assemblyman has a long list of gang shooting horror stories from his district, which stretches from Hollywood to the Alhambra city line and includes Echo Park, Lincoln Heights and part of East Los Angeles.

Nintendo Co. was the big winner in the video-game console race in 2007, with sold-out sales of its Wii machine helping to send industry revenue soaring 43% to $17.9 billion last year in the U.S., according to a report released Thursday. Sony Corp., once the reigning champion with its PlayStation brand, came in last place out of the three major makers.

The production company owned by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz filed a motion Tuesday to add two defendants to its case against the literary agent of author Clive Cussler. In the amendment filed in Colorado State Court, Anschutz's Crusader Entertainment, now called Bristol Bay Productions, requested that Cussler's publishers, Simon & Schuster Inc. and Penguin Group (USA) Inc., be added to the existing suit against Peter Lampack and Peter Lampack Agency Inc.

The distilled spirits industry expects its U.S. revenue to increase 4.6% in 2008, down from last year's growth rate, a trade group said Friday, as the weaker economy forces people to tighten their budgets for going out. The Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. expects spirits makers to post $19 billion in revenue in 2008. Revenue rose 5.6% to $18.2 billion in 2007. Sales by volume are expected to go up 1.9% in 2008, the trade group said, reaching 185 million cases. Volume sales advanced 2.

Activision Inc. said Thursday it had rocked into the No. 1 position in video game sales in North America last year, becoming the first company to unseat Electronic Arts Inc. The Santa Monica-based game company snagged 17.7% of the market for games played on consoles in 2007, besting EA's 15.2% share, according to research firm NPD Group Inc. The figures do not include sales of games played on computers, where EA maintained its leadership position.

Facing competition from other e-commerce sites and a revolt from its top sellers, EBay Inc. said Monday that it would lower listing fees on media sold on its site, including books, music, movies and video games. EBay had only last month announced that it would be changing its fee structure, agitating many media sellers who would have ended up paying more. The speed with which EBay responded to their complaints pleased some of them.

It wasn't long ago that the pharmaceutical industry viewed HIV drugs as more of a public service than possible bestsellers. Unlike in the case of cancer or heart disease, where drugs for patients in richer markets such as the United States and Europe can be instantly and startlingly profitable, two-thirds of people infected with HIV are in impoverished regions in Africa. But something unexpected is happening: As treatment of HIV patients in the U.S.

Sales of investment and vacation homes plunged last year along with the rest of the housing market but still made up 1 out of every 3 homes sold, the National Assn. of Realtors reported Friday. As easy credit dried up and speculators continued to vanish, investment home sales dropped 18% from 2006 levels. However, bargain hunters such as Daniel and Nancy Isom helped cushion the fall as investors snapped up about 1 out of every 5 homes sold last year.

There is no For Sale sign on the front lawn of Brotman Medical Center in Culver City. But a behind-the-scenes drama is unfolding that could determine the financially troubled hospital's future and what kind of care may be offered to patients on the Westside. Brotman filed for bankruptcy protection in the fall, and its financial condition continues to look bleak. It has been searching for buyers willing to help pay off its large debt and invest in its aging buildings and equipment.

It costs more than $50 to fill the gas tank, home values are plummeting, good jobs are hard to come by, and the dollar's so weak that even a Canadian vacation seems beyond reach. All together, it has the makings for a wonderful summer in Hollywood. It's not that the film business wishes ill on anyone (besides restaurant hosts assigning bad tables, at least), but the economy's loss may very much be the studios' gain.