• Norway to Apple: Get rid of the iTunes DRM, or else

    Friday, November 7th, 2008

    Nicholas likes video games, soccer, UFC, and astronomy–particularly the study of asteroids. He went to NYU. → Learn More

    itunesnor

    Did you hear the news? “Norway” has a problem with the DRM used in iTunes, officially.

    The country’s consumer ombudsman, which sounds a government-subsidized version of Ask Asa, said the follow in his latest report:

    It’s a consumer’s right to transfer and play digital content bought and downloaded from the internet to the music device he himself chooses to use. iTunes makes this impossible or at least difficult, and hence, they act in breach of Norwegian law.

    So, unless Apple gets its act together and, I guess, removes the DRM (at least for Norway), it’ll be subject to fines in the six figure (Euros, mind you) range. That’s not exactly something Apple wants to deal with, I’m guessing.

    It gets worse for Apple. Should Norway win its case and actually start fining Apple, there’s a good chance that the European Union will get involved. It’s one thing to upset the Norwegian consumer ombudsman, but it’s a whole different matter when you’re dealing with Brussels. Just ask Microsoft how pleasant it is dealing with those guys.

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