digital music/video
01/22/2007, 6:35pm, EST
Monday, January 22nd
European groups join Norway vs. iTunes
A Norwegian official today revealed that French and German consumer groups have joined several Scandinavian countries in their efforts to pressure Apple to open its iTunes Music Store, thereby enabling customers to purchase, download, and play tracks from iTunes on their non-Apple portable players. In June of 2006 consumer agencies in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden charged that Apple was violating contract and copyright laws in those countries, and provided Apple with a deadline to respond to those claims. Norwegian Consumer Ombudsman Bjoern Erik Thon said French consumer lobby UFC-Que Choisir and its German counterpart, Verbraucher, joined the movement late last year, according to the Associated Press, and that other European countries are considering joining effort. "This is important because Germany and France are European giants," said Thon. "Germany, in particular, is a big market for digital music."
An Apple spokesman today addressed the announcement: "Apple is aware of the concerns we've heard from several agencies in Europe and we're looking forward to resolving these issues as quickly as possible. Apple hopes that European governments will encourage a competitive environment that lets innovation thrive, protects intellectual property and allows consumers to decide which products are successful."
Filed under: industry
Other story tags: digital music/video
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Why don't people just buy the product or not. What's made iPod/iTS successful is 'how' it works & if you don't like 'how' it works - buy something else!
McD
I don't know, maybe because Apple has 89% of the music market and, ergo, the one that most consumers have their 'issues' with.
You know, sort of the same reason they went after microsoft with their OS and all.
Man, Apple has a piddly OS market share and its all "Why don't they do something about the Microsoft and their huge monopoly!" Then, when its Apple with a monopoly, its "Why don't they leave poor Apple alone and go after MS with its piddly market share!
CVB
Right....its so unbelievable that MS has gotten away with murder in Europe. Oh, wait, they're under sanctions over there, plus having to go through hoops just to release vista.
And did it occur to you that these consumer groups are groups concerned about digital music. It would seem kind of stupid for them to be up in arms over OSes (that's like saying a consumer group focused on kids eating healthy should be going after the auto industry).
BTW, maybe you should note that iTunes/Fairplay are also not to be seen on Linux, let alone any other OS but Mac and Windows. Maybe they are concerned about monopolizing OSes and how it can cause people not to be able to make choices they want.
Your comment does not change the fact that MSFT only supports one platform and Apple supports both mac OS X and windows. That is more choice than Playsforsure or Zune offers.
MSFT was supposed to be split up by the US government. They got away with murder in the US.
Downloaded music is what, 10-20% of music sales? It's not like you can't go to your local music store and get the same music for your non-ipod player.