Norway to discuss iTunes

Nordic consumer regulators are scheduled to meet in Iceland on August 24-25th to discuss possible legal action against Apple. The meeting in Reykjavik will seek to resolve whether to file a lawsuit against Apple if the company refuses to lift restrictions preventing tracks purchased via iTunes from playing on rival music players, according to the Associated Press. Meeting attendees will also discuss whether to address the Apple case individually or jointly. Consumer agencies in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden cried foul in June, saying that Apple was violating copyright laws by restricting music purchased from the iTunes Music Store to play only on its iPod portable player, locking out competitors. Apple responded to the complaints, saying that its business model would not change and that it was not in violation of those country's laws.

The Cupertino-based company responded to prior anti-DRM complaints in early August from consumer agencies in Scandinavia, but also announced that it had sold 200 million songs in Europe over a two year period. European competition (EC) officials said in late June that they were wary about proposals to force Apple to make its iTunes Music service compatible with rival players, but said that it did not regard Apple's move as an instance of major concern.

Coming under further fire, the British Phonographic Institute (BPI) asked Apple in early June to make its iTunes DRM compatible with other music players, following the victory of a Norwegian consumer advocate group which set the stage for Norway to consider legal action against the company in the near future.

France shoots for open iTunes

Apple also recently fought a bitter battle with French lawmakers over a new bill which repeatedly threatened to force the company to open its closed iPod/iTunes ecosystem to competitors. Industry watchers speculated that Apple would close its French iTunes doors, rather than comply with what it called "state-sponsored piracy."

The law became diluted as it traversed the French Senate, and after passing was declared partially unconstitutional by the French Constitutional Council. The council elected to highlight fundamental protections for intellectual property so as to put iTunes a little further from risk of the new law, which finally went into effect on August 3rd.

by MacNN Staff