EU: Apple yet to answer antitrust claims
updated 01:25 pm EDT, Fri June 1, 2007
EU and Apple clash
Apple has yet to respond to antitrust allegations that are the result of an inquiry launched April 3rd, according to European Commission officials. Central to the issue is a concern over restrictions that disallow customers of the iTunes Music Store to purchase tracks meant for a country other than the one from which they are connecting to the Internet, causing price differentials between intra-eurozone and extra-eurozone. The European Commission's deadline for a response from Apple is midnight on Monday, June 4th -- two months after the start of the investigation.
Two areas left out of the EU officials' statement on Apple's lack of a response involve DRM concerns and any suggestion that Apple holds an unfair dominant market position.
In a statement to issued at the start of the investigation, Apple officials denied that anything was done in violation of EU law, and claims to have desired a pan-European iTunes store, but was advised by record labels that this would conflict legally with copyrights.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: May 2001
Give it a break EU
Come on, lay off Apple. There's bigger fish to fry. They are making very positive steps with this whole DRM issue and allow them to be a dominant player in at least ONE market. Good grief.
I might add, Apple is dominant due to the quality and desire of the product, NOT because companies and individuals are locked-in like the way Microsoft dominates!!