Europe steps up pressure on iTunes

Stephen Withers
Thursday, 25 January 2007 04:57

IT Policy - Regulation

A push by Nordic countries to force Apple to make tracks purchased from the iTunes Store playable on mobile devices other than iPods is spreading to other nations.

According to various media reports, the Norwegian Consumer Ombudsman has ruled that the use of technology that prevents purchased tracks working on players other than iPods is illegal as it violates contract law.

Sweden and Denmark are reportedly taking a similar stance, while French and German consumer groups are urging their governments to follow suit.

This comes at a time when commentators are asking whether the music industry majors might follow the lead of independent labels and offer unprotected digital tracks.

Last year, the British Phonographic Institute (the British record industry's trade association) urged Apple to make its DRM compatible with other players, and the French parliament passed a law requiring vendors to disclose technical details of their DRM to allow interoperability, but provided a loophole allowing copyright owners to limit their tracks to a particular DRM scheme.