Apple is under fresh attack in Europe for its proprietary iTunes DRM technology, with goverment agencies in Norway and Sweden pressing the online music leader to open up its system so that non-Apple devices can play the purchased music. And in the U.K., the British equivalent of the RIAA told Parliament that Apple should make iTunes compatible with non-Apple players.
Part of the problem for Apple in Europe is the greater dependence on mobile phones for music. As the head of the Consumer Ombudsman Office of Norway, a consumer protection arm of the government, notes, his own personal experience in transferring songs to his mobile phone has colored his professional view of the situation.
“We are likely to rule against Apple, but it is fair to hear their point of view,” Mr.[Bjorn Erik] Thon said. “Consumers should be able to play music they have purchased on any device they want.”
Mr. Thon said that he himself had bought a large number of songs from iTunes for about 1 euro apiece, and now wanted to transfer them to his new Nokia N80 cellular phone, but could not.
“I just cannot imagine an argument in favor of stopping someone from using a song they purchased,” he said.
Cynthia Brumfield at 9:09 PM|Comments(0)
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