Consumer Protection Commissioner wants to see changes in iTunes

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

Many consumer rights organizations in Germany, Norway, France and Finland
have gathered to take common actions against Apples on its iTunes bundling
services, but new concerns are expressed also by the EU Consumer Protection
Commissioner, Meglena Kuneva.

In an interview for the German weekly Focus, Kuneva was very critical to
this service: “Do you think it’s fine that a CD plays in all CD players but
that an iTunes song only plays in an iPod? I don’t. Something has to
change.”

The statement was confirmed by Helen Kearns, a Commission spokeswoman who
considered however that those were the commissioner’s own opinions and not
those of the Commission. “I don’t think she was stating it as a definitive
policy position. At this stage it is her gut instinct,” said Kearns who
added that Kuneva was leading a review of the eight basic laws governing
cross-border consumer rights.

The respective review, which is in its early stage, has resulted so far in a
preliminary document that will probably lead to revision proposals for
current EU laws.

Apple faces opposition not only in Europe, but in the US as well where the
company was sued for binding the music bought on its iTunes to its iPod
which violates US anti-trust laws.

EU takes aim at Apple over iTunes (11.03.2007)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUKL1126917220070311

Criticism on Itunes (only in German, 11.03.2007)
http://www.focus.de/digital/multimedia/ipod/apple_aid_50327.html

Apple faces US iPod anti-trust suit (3.01.2007)
http://www.computing.co.uk/personal-computer-world/news/2171724/apple-faces-ipod-anti-trust

EDRi-gram: iTunes under continuous attack in Europe (31.01.2007)
http://www.edri.org/edrigram/number5.2/itunes