Given that Apple spent years surviving on the basis that it wasn't the inflexible money-grabbing market-dominating Microsoft, the computer firm is doing a pretty good job of being inflexible, money-grabbing and market-dominating of late.
With numerous independent record labels still bemused as to why their phone calls aren't returned by iTunes, even though they are looking to sign up to a pre-agreed standard licensing deal, Apple won't gain too many PR points in the music sector by refusing to sell the download version of the new Band Aid track on a pricing technicality.
Word is, Apple insisted that if they were to sell 'Do They Know It's Christmas' via iTunes, they would want to sell it for 79p, their standard track price in the UK. Of course Band Aid organisers are selling the digital version of the track for £1.49 - wanting to raise as much cash as possible for charity, and all that. Apple reportedly decided to pass on the opportunity to take part in the biggest charity download ever rather than budge on the price.