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Norway puts more pressure on Apple over iTunes DRM

6 November 2008 19:13 by James "Dela" Delahunty | 4 comments

Norway's Consumer Ombudsman Bjoern Erik Thon is keeping his pledge to put more pressure on Apple to cut the DRM tie between its iPod models and music downloads from the iTunes download store. The consumer mediator gave Apple a November 3rd deadline back in September this year, and now that the deadline has passed without Apple making enough effort (in the Ombudsman's opinion), it may face being brought before a government agency.

"iTunes has shown a lacking will to comply with our demand and we are now preparing to try this case in the Market Council," Consumer Ombudsman Bjoern Erik Thon said in a statement. Back in 2006, Norway was among the world's first countries to take issue with Apple's FairPlay DRM, which while protecting music, also created a tie between hardware made by Apple and digital downloads it sells.

Apple responded to the pressure by providing certain information to its customers including a workaround that includes burning copy protected music to a CD with iTunes and then ripping to standard unprotected digital audio, which will work with pretty much all MP3 players on the market.

"iTunes maintains its previous views in its response to the Consumer Ombudsman. The company is in other words unwilling to make changes to make music in the iTunes Store available to all music players," the agency said in its statement. Whether or not Apple will cave to the pressure remains to be seen.

Permalink to this article | Topics: Gadgets MP3 & Digital Audio Online music services

Norway drops complaint over Apple's FairPlay DRM (5 February 2009)

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Koch adds content to iTunes (10 November 2008)

Journey catalog track becomes first to 2 million downloads, legally (9 November 2008)

Norway to sue Apple in hopes of opening up FairPlay DRM (29 September 2008)

Norwegian broadcasting company shares TV series via BitTorrent (30 January 2008)

Norway threatens Apple with legal action over iTunes (25 January 2007)

Norwegian Consumer Council will continue fight over iTunes (4 August 2006)

Norwegian Supreme Court: Linking to MP3s illegal (29 January 2005)

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Discuss this article!
DXR88 (Senior Member) 6 November 2008 20:37
Wow this article, is familiar. [ + quote]
panzearon (Newbie) 7 November 2008 17:22
Way to go Norway! [ + quote]
varnull (Inactive) 7 November 2008 17:27
For some reason this makes me smile... Go Norway.. enforce the "unfair trading" laws and remove all apple goods and services from sale in your country... then block itunes store through your isp's... Then we will see Apple squirm a bit.. because it will set a European trade region precident, which if things work like they should would mean the immediate banning of all trading by apple into the region. I doubt very much that "our" elected officials actually have the balls to bite their real paymasters.. but it will be fun watching both the European Parliament and apple shuffle their feet nervously in the corner before it all gets swept under the carpet... again. Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work. The flower of carnage-shura no hana.. [ + quote] This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 7 November 2008 17:28
rlessmue (Junior Member) 7 November 2008 20:49
...it's about time! Thanks Norway! [ + quote]