“Some customers who purchase an iPod between 2006 and 2009 began receiving notice this week that they are members of a pending class-action lawsuit accusing Apple of creating a monopoly with the iTunes Music Store… In early 2005, Thomas Slattery filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the company had violated federal antitrust laws and california’s unfair competition law by requiring that customers use an iPod to listen to music purchased via the iTunes Music Store,” Neil Hughes reports for AppleInsider.
“The complaint has dragged on for more than 7 years now, and last year Magistrate Judge Howard R. Lloyd in San Jose, Calif., even authorized limited questioning of Apple’s then-chief-executive Steve Jobs,” Hughes reports. “In the 7 years since the suit was filed, Apple has negotiated with music labels for a more open iTunes Music Store, and songs sold there are now provided without digital rights management software, which restricts how files can be used.”
Hughes reports, “Early this month, a pair of settlement conferences were held in the class-action suit, known as ‘The Apple iPod iTunes Anti-Trust Litigation.’ However, no settlement could be reached during those discussions… As for those who have been notified that they are a class member, customers have the right to do nothing and remain a part of the class, or they can ask to be excluded to get out of the lawsuit and receive no benefits from it. Those who wish to be excluded must send an ‘Exclusion Request,’ as detailed on the lawsuit’s official website.”
More info and links in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: We couldn’t exclude ourselves from this idiocy quickly enough.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Sarah” and “Lynn Weiler” for the heads up.]