“Apple has responded to the Norwegian Consumer Ombudsman’s plan to bring an iTunes case before the country’s Market Council, but Apple’s answer hasn’t impressed the official. He now expects the case to go before the council in March or April next year,” Mikael Ricknäs reports for IDG News Service.
“Apple has been in the sights of Norwegian Consumer Ombudsman Bjørn Erik Thon for more than two years. The iTunes contract terms breach the Norwegian Marketing Control Act, according to Thon,” Ricknäs reports.
“‘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,’ he said in a statement on Sept. 29, when the plan to submit the case to the local Market Council was announced,” Ricknäs reports.
“Thon wants all tracks on iTunes, as well as other music stores, to work on any music player, either by removing DRM (digital rights management) restrictions or by making FairPlay, Apple’s DRM system, interoperable with devices other than iPods,” Ricknäs reports.
Full article here.
Bjørn Erik Thon obviously can’t read.
Apple should simply take iTunes Store Norway offline until the Norwegian Consumer Ombudsman figures out that the music labels are the problem, not Apple, or until Norway gets itself a competent Consumer Ombudsman.
We did the math: Apple can survive without iTunes Store Norway for – approximately – ever.
Well then… no iTunes Store for you, Norway.
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?
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
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.
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.
There really is a Norway?
Sixvodkas?
John is using the correct “to” in his sentence.
> 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.
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..
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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!
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Greetings from Norway!
And congrats. with the election by the way!
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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????