“Sweden’s consumer rights agency on Wednesday said it and other rights groups in Scandinavia will meet Apple Computer to discuss their complaint that the U.S. company’s popular iTunes service breaches consumer laws,” Reuters reports.
“In June, the consumer agencies of Sweden, Denmark and Norway jointly wrote to Apple alleging that customers had to waive fundamental rights, such as the free use of legally bought products, to download music from iTunes,” Reuters reports. “The U.S. computer maker has responded in writing, but wants a face-to-face discussion as well, Marianne Abyhammar, Sweden’s acting consumer ombudsman, told Reuters.”
“Norway’s consumer rights agency has said one of its main concerns was that iTunes limited customers’ right to freely use legally acquired products by implementing software to protect downloaded files from illegal copying and distribution,” Reuters reports. “The technology, known as Digital Rights Management (DRM), means no portable players other than Apple’s own iPods can play files downloaded from iTunes.”
Full article here.
What about Motorola phones with iTunes?
Related articles:
Norway not satisfied with Apple concessions – August 02, 2006
Norwegian council reviews Apple response to Nordic iTunes complaints – August 01, 2006
Can Scandinavians really force Apple to change iTunes Store terms? – June 16, 2006
Scandinavian triumvirate extends deadline to August 1 for Apple to reply to iTunes concerns – June 14, 2006
Norway gives Apple until June 21 to change iTunes Music Store terms – June 12, 2006
Norway: iTMS DRM under scrutiny, Microsoft DRM next – June 09, 2006
Consumer Council of Norway files a complaint regarding Apple iTunes Music Store’s terms of service – January 27, 2006
Gutted French ‘iTunes law’ ends up solving nothing – August 01, 2006
French anti-iTunes law deemed unconstitutional – July 31, 2006
Parts of French ‘iPod Law’ struck down as unconstitutional – July 28, 2006
French lawmakers give final approval to watered-down ‘iTunes law’ – June 30, 2006
Apple awaits final approval of French DRM Legislation – June 23, 2006
French lawmakers agree to water down DRM bill that would affect Apple’s iTunes – June 21, 2006
It’s no wonder EMI is supporting Apple in France – May 23, 2006
EMI backs Apple on French DRM law – May 23, 2006
BusinessWeek: still very possible that Apple will close iTunes Music Store in France – May 12, 2006
French copyright bill approved: Apple will not have to share FairPlay DRM details with competitors – May 11, 2006
French Senate vote could offer loophole for Apple’s iTunes – May 09, 2006
Vive l’iTunes! French ‘state-sponsored piracy’ DRM law gutted in committee – May 01, 2006
Force open Apple’s FairPlay? What has possessed the French this time? – April 27, 2006
French Trade Minister: Apple’s iTunes must play fair in French music market – April 14, 2006
JP Morgan: French DRM law will have limited impact on Apple Computer – March 28, 2006
Dvorak: What the French got right with proposed DRM law – March 28, 2006
Will Apple’s Steve Jobs bid France adieu? – March 22, 2006
Wired’s Kahney: Proposed French copyright protection law a good thing for consumers in the long run – March 22, 2006
Apple calls proposed French DRM law ‘state-sponsored piracy,’ predicts iPod sales increase – March 21, 2006
French National Assembly approves digital copyright bill; could affect Apple’s FairPlay DRM – March 21, 2006
Would anyone like to take bets that this campaign is being underwritten by Nokia?
I’d bet on Microsoft, myself.
as jokeren put it…. møg luder!
what a twisted world we are living in…
the mother of all Pirate Strongholds is investigating a Company that legally sells its stuff.
Perhaps this is a good precedent
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Apple must make their software run on others products therefore windows developers MUST make their applications available on Macs.
Car manufacturers must make their cars run on any fuel.
I should be able to put a Ford fuel injection system on a BMW.
I should be able to view the Soprano’s on my local TV station.
I should be able to light my house with natural gas not just electricity.
I am of course speaking tongue in cheek here. Why should Apple have to make their products work with the competition’s?
Freedom means that Apple can choose a strategy that they feel benefits them. This may not fly in socialist Europe where freedom means forcing other to provide what you want, but it is the reality of a free society
the stupidess thing about all this is that the record companies state the drm needs to be in place, why are they not being questioned?
Bobby, in which cheek is your speaking tongue? Don’t step on the fresh stuff.
There are PLENTY of portable CD players out there. Burn a CD play it anywhere!
Rip it again and put it on any mp3 player.
Problem solved. Am I missing something?
I think it’s disgraceful that any CDs I purchase won’t play in my 8-track player. What do the Scandinavians think of that ?
How are Windows Media files immune from this? I cannot run them on my iPod, my Moto ROKR (if I had one), OR ON MY MAC (which I have three).
Ok they have picked on the biggest player, but doesn’t this mean that all that windows media crap and other Mp3 player manufacturers will also have to comply? Otherwise the whole playing field is again uneven just as they think it is now.
If they want an even field then they will have to insist that all download stores and all Mp3 players be compatible.
Is that ever going to happen? There are only 5mill Swedes anyway, so it is not a big market. Apple could just leave them to their windows rubbish and leave.
The astounding lack of knowlege or thought behind some of these comments hurts.
Here aree the population numbers for Scandinavia:
Denmark pop. 5,450,661
Finland pop. 5,231,372
Iceland pop. 299,388
Norway pop. 4,610,820
Sweden pop. 9,016,596
Scandinavia pop. 24,608,837
And why does a consumer rights advocacy group always cause Americans to call people socialists? You are the consumer your voice is the one the really needs to be heard.
The only thing is that the DRM scheme is not Apple’s doing, need to go after the record companies and film studios and the RIAA and MPAA and have them start treating the consumers as customers and not criminals.
Blah.
This just in:
Apple announced today that they
will be forced to double all song
prices starting immediately. The
primary cause was cited as unexpected
cost in attempting to support substandard
music players manufactured by companies
such as Microsoft, Creative Labs, Samsung
and others. One Apple spokesperson was
apologetic, but was also quoted as saying
“thank the damn Swedes.”
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Since iPods are the most popular players by far, iTunes is the most compatible service. iTunes also has the most lenient DRM. And consumers can choose to buy their songs on CD (or whatever media format). Why is this “pro-consumer” acting like this? It’s clear that the earlier posts answer this question. Fearing public backlash when Apple pulls iTMS from these countries (and limits consumer choice), these agencies will back down and go away.
“Norway’s consumer rights agency has said one of its main concerns was that iTunes limited customers’ right to freely use legally acquired products by implementing software to protect downloaded files from illegal copying and distribution,” Reuters reports.
Okay and who says you have to buy from iTunes? Rip it to a CD and then re-rip it to mp3 and put it on any player you like. I don’t see any limiting factors here. DRM was required by the Record companies not Apple. Apple complied with there request before they were allowed to sell the music labels online. Norway can blame the record industry, not Apple. Apple could just close the store down and let them suffer with the other 10% of the online vendors who offer nothing!
I think Rambo said it best when he said to his superior officer just before they were about to be over run by the Russian military:
“Fu*k em”