Unlock iTunes, demands watchdog

Norway is to press ahead with legal action to try and force Apple to open its iTunes music store to other digital music players other than its own iPod.

The case, taken by the country's top consumer advocate, could prove pivotal in changing the current digital rights management (DRM) model that Apple and other stores enforce.

Currently Apple's proprietary system only allows for songs purchased and downloaded through iTunes to play only on its range of products which includes the iPod and iPhone.

Likewise Apple devices generally cannot play copy-protected music sold through non-Apple digital stores.

Norway, along with Finland, Denmark, France, Germany and the Netherlands, has led a two-year campaign to allow all music downloaded from the iTunes system to work on rival music players.

Norway's consumer ombudsman Bjoern Erik Thon said that Apple has had two years to respond to his demands, yet no progress has been made.

"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," he said.

"iTunes makes this impossible or at least difficult, and hence, they act in breach of Norwegian law," Thon continued.

However, Mark Mulligan of Jupiter Research ridiculed the action.

"Why aren’t Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft up for charges also? Last time I checked you couldn’t play PS3 games on a Wii or Wii games on an Xbox," he said.

Earlier this month 7 Digital, a competitor of iTunes, launched a 100 per cent DRM-free store with a catalogue of four million songs.

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