“The late Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc., led the company to violate antitrust laws by restricting music purchases for iPod users to Apple’s iTunes digital store, an attorney for consumers suing Apple said in court,” Dan Levine reports for Reuters.
“Opening statements began on Tuesday in an Oakland, California, federal court in the long-running class action, which harks back to Apple’s pre-iPhone era. The plaintiffs, a group of individuals and businesses who purchased iPods from 2006 to 2009, are seeking about $350 million in damages from Apple for unfairly blocking competing device makers. That amount would be automatically tripled under antitrust laws,” Levine reports. “Plaintiff attorney Bonny Sweeney showed the court emails from top Apple executives, including Jobs, discussing a challenge in the online music market from Real Networks, which developed a rival digital song manager. When it was developed, music purchased on Real’s store could be played on iPods.”
“The trial evidence includes emails from Jobs, as well as video deposition testimony the former Apple chief executive gave shortly before he died in 2011. In July 2004, Jobs wrote to other Apple executives with a suggested press release about Real Networks. ‘How’s this?’ Jobs wrote. ”We are stunned that Real is adopting the tactics and ethics of a hacker and breaking into the iPod,”” Levine reports. “‘I like likening them to hackers,’ Apple marketing chief Philip Schiller responded.”
“During his 2011 deposition, Jobs displayed some of the edge he was known for, according to a transcript filed in court,” Levine reports. “Asked if he was familiar with Real Networks, Jobs replied: ‘Do they still exist?'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: This lawsuit should target those who demanded DRM on music to “protect” it, not Apple which was forced to develop and use FairPlay by the music cartels.
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