“Good news for Aussies with a jones for all things Apple–they may soon be able to buy songs from the company’s popular iTunes music store. The bad news–like consumers in Japan, they may find their choices limited, as the computer maker continues to haggle with record labels over the best way to sell digital music,” Peter Kafka reports for Forbes. “Apple is working to expand iTunes and plans to open up an Australian version of its iTunes online music store Oct. 3, according to people familiar with the negotiations. But how much music the store will have for sale is an open question. Of the world’s four major music labels, only two–EMI Group and Vivendi’s Universal Music Group–have agreements to sell their music on the site so far. Warner Music Group and Sony BMG Music, a joint venture between Sony and Bertelsmann, have yet to sign on with Apple, which has been rumored since last spring to have plans to launch the site.”
Kafka reports, “Those two companies are also the holdouts at Apple’s iTunes Japan site, which opened for business last month. A Warner Music executive said the company was close to signing on with Apple for the Australian launch, but couldn’t predict when a deal would get done. Industry speculation, though, is that Sony BMG will be harder to convince.”
Full article here.
These holdouts had better watch it. It’s not a good idea to piss off someone who could hold the keys to your future.
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