James Delahunty
7 Sep 2007 7:09
The European Commission will hold hearings with Apple Inc. and several major record companies this month, addressing the EC's concerns over unfair pricing schemes and sales practices of the iTunes music store in Europe. The hearings will not directly lead to a decision in the ongoing investigation. They will be held from September 19th through 20th.
After being accused of pressuring Apple into a country-by-country pricing scheme in Europe, the big four major record companies, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, EMI Group and Sony BMG will also be joining Apple in the hearings. Due to confidential agreements the four different labels have with Apple, the hearings are closed to the public and each will be meeting with the EC separately.
Users of iTunes in Europe can purchase songs from the store intended to be used in their country, a policy that is enforced by requiring the use of locally-issued credit cards. The real problem however is that the price of music downloads varies depending on what country you are purchasing in, which the EC claims violates European antitrust laws.
Source:
Ars Technica