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U.S. feds weigh investigation of Apple’s forthcoming ‘iTunes Music’ streaming service

“Apple’s problems with its soon-to-launch music-streaming service may expand to the US,” Claire Atkinson reports for The New York Post.

“Regulators in Washington have been holding talks with key music-industry executives in order to figure out whether to launch a wider antitrust review of the tech titan’s business practices, sources said,” Atkinson reports. “Both the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice have been involved in those conversations, sources noted.”

“Meanwhile, New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has sent a subpoena to music labels looking for details of their agreements with Apple, according to a published report,” Atkinson reports. “The main issue is a concern that Apple will use its global dominance to push the music business not to license its songs to freemium services — and to obtain exclusive deals. To be sure, Apple has yet to sign a single deal with a label.”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: One might wonder if this perpetual witch-hunt would evaporate if Apple reversed course, stopped protecting the privacy of their customers by ending government-impenetrable encryption, and resumed handing over the decryption keys whenever authorities demanded.

Related articles:
EU regulators already probing Apple’s music streaming plans in Europe – April 2, 2015
Apple’s ‘iTunes Music’ streaming service to cost $9.99/month, no free tier; iTunes Radio to get makeover – March 26, 2015
With iTunes Music, Apple wants to help music labels roll back the tide of free digital music – March 6, 2015

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