Europe is quite the hotbed of Apple criticism, isn't it? Whether it's Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland or even some countries that aren't even IN Scandinavia, political figures are rattling the sabers of anti-trust litigation. The latest in this line is European Union Consumer Protection Commissioner Meglena Kuvena, who makes a staggeringly insightful comment to Reuters.
Well, let me ask you a question, Meglena. Do you think it's fine that CDs play in all CD players but DVDs only play in the regions they're created for?
Technorati Tags: ipod, itunes, antitrust, trust
Or that books are only readable to people who read the printed language? Or that cassette tapes don't play on CD players? Or that Windows software doesn't run by default on Macs and vice versa? Most entertainment media are incompatible! Granted, iTunes DRM is a pain in the butt. I still haven't gotten my songs to work again since the freak-out a couple of weeks ago. But those aren't the problems most people are having. They just want their music to be portable between platforms. And guess what? If record companies really wanted that, they would sell MP3s, which work on every player on the market.
This isn't about Apple. Though they should license FairPlay to other hardware companies, this is really about DRM on the whole. The record companies agreed to this deal and now want out of it. They have a very easy way out: Sell their music without DRM restrictions -- as they have since early 1900s. Simple.
Thanks, Casey!
