Apple faces pressure to change its DRM

Consumer groups target iTunes DRM in Europe and the US

12 June 2006 13:01 GMT / By Amber Maitland

Apple is facing increasing pressure from around the globe to open up its DRM system.

Over the weekend, Defective By Design, a consumer group which makes up the Campaign to Eliminate DRM, launched a number of protests outside eight Apple stores between 10 in the morning and noon. The protestors carried placards and handed out leaflets.

Meanwhile, Apple faces legal action in Scandinavia, where Swedish, Danish and Finnish regulators have decided that iTunes' terms and conditions are illegal in their countries.

The Norwegians are not only going after Apple, but also MSN Music's DRM as well as CDON.com, Music Online.no and Prefueled.com. The Norwegian Consumer Council has asked them to reevaluate their terms and conditions to align them with Norwegian law.

Apple has until 21 June to respond to Norway's Consumer Council on whether or not iTunes should work on other platforms. If Apple doesn't comply, it will be slapped with a fine.

Pocket-lint has also reported that the BPI in the UK has officially recommended that songs downloaded from iTunes should be able to be played on devices other than iPods.

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Software, Mac software, Music software, Apple, Audio