EC holds off on iTunes

Despite rising pressure, European competition officials told Reuters they are wary about proposals to force Apple to make its iTunes Music Service compatible with other music players. Recently, countries such as France and Norway have begun to pressure Apple on its closed iTunes/iPod ecosystem as well as other consumer right issues. Reuters reports Philip Lowe, director general of competition at the European Commission, said that he wanted to wait, despite mounting pressure from other European countries. "We wouldn't at this stage regard this as an instance of major concern until we've seen further market developments," Lowe told reporters this week. In addition, the EC official said Apple had obtained its strong market position in open competition with many similar players, including some with their own Web sites. Along with US officials, EMI last month backed Apple in its stance against a new French law that could force the Cupertino-based company to open up its FairPlay DRM to competitors, which could lead to Apple shutting down iTunes in France.

by MacNN Staff