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EU Launches Antitrust Probe Into iTunes
Macthorpe writes "ABC News is reporting that the EU has started an antitrust probe into the way that Apple sells music on iTunes. As you can only purchase from the store of the country where your credit or debit card is registered, the price differences and availability differences between iTunes stores for different EU countries constitute a violation of EU competition laws which forbid territorial sales restrictions.'Apple spokesman Steve Dowling said Monday the company wanted to operate a single store for all of Europe, but music labels and publishers said there were limits to the rights that could they could grant to Apple. "We don't believe Apple did anything to violate EU law," he said. "We will continue to work with the EU to resolve this matter."'"
Neelie Kroes-Smit, the dutch lady who is European Commissioner, and thus responsible for all these European Fair Trade matters, was formerly married to Bram Peper (Dutch politician) and business man Willem Smit. Willem himself has a bad coke and white collar crime reputation hanging around him. At least 2 people that were doing business with him were shot on 2 separate occasions in clear daylight. Neelie Kroes, now divorced, was once also the president of a dutch high-class profiled Business University. That presidency is now taken up by the former Commissioner on fair trade, Karel Van Miert.
It's all fucked up politics and crime. These people are easily influenced, and I think the EU is being forced into games by many-a-lobby. The result is that MS is not going to go down alone, apparently.
For the record, I am not a MS or Apple or Mac fan. It pains me to see Europe play these corporate games. Yes, they became tools.
With great power comes great electricity bills.
Well, as far as I can tell, it was Apple's fault -- sure, the music companies supposedly made Apple do it, but that does not absolve Apple of actually going along with it.
If you are doing business in a region, you'd better do follow the law of the land. If your business "partners" (i.e. the music industry) does not like playing by the rules, too bad, pull out. However, you cannot not play by the rules and insist that it is not your fault.
Next in line, I'm hoping to see Apple fined for selling DRM-ed music (the other issue the article talked about).
The EU certainly seem to have a hate-on for a lot of corporations these days.
Blerg.