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Well then... no iTunes Store for you, Norway.

Nov 05, 08 - 04:43 pm Comment from: Jay-Z

What does Apple have to do to indicate that they're not the ones who want the damn DRM? Music labels have the option of not including DRM on their tracks - most of them choose to include it.

...this bird has flown.

Shutdown Norway if there to STUPID!

Dear John:

It might be prudent to spell the word "their" correctly when one is calling others "stupid".

Oop! Irony is my name! I meant "they're". Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa!

Why doesn't Apple buy Norway and evict Bjørn Erik Thon?

Nov 05, 08 - 05:28 pm Comment from: Sixvodkas

No problem, Falkirk, I got your back!

Dear John:

It might be prudent to use the word "too" (not, as in your case "to") correctly when one is calling others "stupid"

Maybe, just maybe Apple wants to lose ?!? After all once they loose they will be forced to remove all DRM from their track on the Norwegian iTunes store (remember Steve doesn't like DRM) & then the record companies would be able to kick up a stink with Apple.
And then maybe Steve will get his way of selling all tracks on iTunes without DRM

Is Bjørn Erik Norway's equivalent of Billy Bob?

Magic Word: language

Nov 05, 08 - 05:30 pm Comment from: MacFhearghaile

Nuke Norway

Who cares - If Apple thinks it is worth fighting this battle - fine. I wouldn't bother. It would set a good example for any other nations so conceived and so dedicated... to simply pull the plug on Norway.
This Ombudsman has too much time on his hands.

Nov 05, 08 - 05:32 pm Comment from: The Other Steve

All Apple has to do if if Norway rules against them is remove any songs that still have DRM leaving only music plus (or whatever they call it) song on iTunes. If you want to sell your music, remove the DRM.

Then again, Apple should to that in other countries as well. One-publisher-at-a-time as their contracts come up.

Nov 05, 08 - 05:43 pm Comment from: grok

There really is a Norway?

Sixvodkas?
John is using the correct "to" in his sentence.

Nov 05, 08 - 06:13 pm Comment from: ken1w

> to simply pull the plug on Norway.

Apple will continue to sell just as many iPods in Norway. It will just come with a version of iTunes that does not have access to the iTunes Store. And the consumers in Norway will get their content from CDs or (more likely) from other "sources."

Since Apple runs the iTunes Store as break-even service to iPod and iPhone customers, I don't thing they care too much either way with a market as small as Norway.

Nov 05, 08 - 06:14 pm Comment from: Predrag

His Shadow:

I don't think you're right. I believe the original meaning of the sentence was to be as follows:

Shutdown Norway if they're too STUPID!

"Shutdown Norway if there to STUPID!"

You have to love when someone with improper spelling and grammar calls others stupid.

Actually, last time I checked, Norway (trought a public pension fund) has invested 500 million dollars i Apple stock, and appearently lost about 67.000 dollars so far. No wonder Mr. Thon is pissed of about this lousy investment.. After all we're talking about his pension as well here..

By the way, this pension fund alone is worth about 315 billion dollars (leftovers after giving free school and healthcare to every citizen), so I don't think Apple could buy Norway exactly. The other way around though, no problemo! Since this probably wouldn't solve the problem we'd have to buy all the record companies as well, and throw inn Coca-Cola Inc. just for fun..

Greetings from Norway!

And congrats. with the election by the way!

I agree... shut 'em down completely. And stop selling iPods there too. We'll see how long the ombudsman can hold his position after all Norwegians come down on his ass! There'll be a lot of "Thanks a lot, asshole... now we have nothing".

I wonder what would happen if Norway repealed the Law of Gravity.

Apple is unlikely to bend over to one nation's anti-competitive, anti-business legislation. Far more likely to just leave and tell Norwegian customers that their government has made it impossible to continue doing business there.

FWIW, does anyone think that if Norway succeeded with this, that they would stop there? I have the funny (not really) hunch they would go after Apple for restricting the Mac OS to Apple hardware.

@Macoman
Mange tak.

Norway is awash in North Sea petrodollars.

They do what they want.

Two threads going here. Both hilarious. Thanks for the entertainment.

create aac version... or burn to a cd and re-import... too difficult????

Shutdown should be shut down because it's used as a verb. Check under the apple, top left.

MW: evidence, as in under the apple.

>>Shutdown Norway if there to STUPID!

English obviously is too difficult for too many native users of the language. So far, no one has been able to get it completely right.

How about this: '"Shut down Norway if they're too STUPID!"? Even this is not logically correct, but it exists in a context. That may make it acceptable.

For the puzzled ones: "Shutdown" is a noun. "Shut down" is the corresponding verb.

English is only my third language, so be gentle.

Nov 05, 08 - 10:10 pm Comment from: iDon't

Norway needs a black President!!!

Nov 06, 08 - 12:51 am Comment from: ElderNorm

I have the answer........ Charge each buyer of an iPod in Norway an extra $500 and when they buy songs off iTunes, the person (a Norway resident) takes the songs and converts them to mp3 cause Norway people are too stupid to do it themselves.

When this person has spare time, he files law suits against Microsoft for using DRM and NOT allowing a CD to be burned.

Just a thought. LOL

en

The only Norwegian Wood is between this guy's ears!

And the problem is? If Apple can't operate its iTunes store in accordance with Norwegian law then they should just close the store. I'm pretty sure the Norwegians would let the officials know what they think of this if it happened.

@EricTheDread 'Why doesn't Apple buy Norway and evict Bjørn Erik Thon?'

Because Apple simply couldn't afford it!

Norway is an oil exporting country, unlike the USA, which is a huge importer and worlds most profligate user and waster of oil.

Norwegian jingoism (now there's a concept) aside, this suit is a transparent effort by the big music labels to use Norwegian bureaucrats to pressure Apple into caving and opening the iTunes Music Store to more easily manipulated actors. Germany (Sony BMG) and France (Vivendi) have joined the suit against Apple, but Britain (EMI) has not. EMI made a deal with Apple earlier this year.

Nov 06, 08 - 06:08 am Comment from: Latin69

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Nov 06, 08 - 09:09 am Comment from: NCMacMan

So, how much did RIAA, Sony, Samsung, et al pay to the Norwegian government to bring this to Apple instead of the record companies?

Follow the money because Norwegian arguments do not make sense on the surface.

if the ombudsman cant figure out how to export and import then shut them down... they will come a knocking.

Norway - null points

Many other European consumer authorities look to this case as a test case for similiar trials in their own country. So this is just not Apple vs Norway, it is Apple vs a lot of other European countries as well.

Maybe Norway will help me fit a Saab engine into a Volvo...

" Shut down Norway if they are [also] STUPID! "

This coming from Europe: the continent that can't come up with their own commercial products on par with Apple's, so they just sue out of jealousy. First MS and now Apple. Perhaps some other country can invent a law that requires every citizen to get a free iPhone, and it Apple doesn't deliver them for free, that country can sue Apple for not "obeying their law". Sheesh.....

"Perhaps some other country can invent a law that requires every citizen to get a free iPhone, and it Apple doesn't deliver them for free, that country can sue Apple for not "obeying their law."

Hey!... let's not give them any ideas.

The only thing I can figure is that crazy, bloodthirsty Norwegians with pitchforks and axes have got to be pounding down the Ombudsman's office door, demanding he save Norway from Apple's rapacious marketshare in legal music downloading.