Andre Yoskowitz
27 Mar 2007 10:32
On Tuesday, a top European Commission official raised questions as to whether competition authorities need to beign regulating Apple's iPod music players.
Many critics have argued that Apple should make the music it sells at its iTunes store compatible with all mp3 players, not just the iPod.
"Before we jump in to regulate competition on the market it is worth asking whether competition is actually harmed," the Commission's director general for competition, Philip Lowe, said at an antitrust conference in Munich, Germany.
"Is there not vigorous competition between different bundles of mp3 players and music libraries?,"said Lowe, who is the second-highest ranking competition official in the EU.
Consumer rights organizations that originate from Germany, France, Finland and Norway have all agreed to jointly campaign against iTunes.
Norway, who is not a member of the EU, made comments in January that said Apple must liberalize its music download system by October 1 of 2007 or face legal action.
Source:
Reuters