Although moves by French politicians to control Apple's dominance in the digital music space have been watered down somewhat after proactive lobbying from the computer firm, the IT company faces new pressure from elsewhere in Europe over licencing and interoperability issues.
The Norwegian Consumer Ombudsman has ordered Apple to make changes to the End User Licensing Agreement that it forces everyone who uses its download platform to enter into. The regulator objects in particular to certain aspects of the agreement that rely on English rather than native law, and also the fact that the licence gives Apple the option to change some of the rights a customer has over a track they have bougtht after the purchase is complete. Apple have until 21 Jun to comply with those demands - and even if they do, further pressure is expected from Norway, and neighbouring countries like Denmark and Sweden, regarding concerns over Apple's unwillingness to enable other download platforms to sell iPod compatible music, the issue that caused MPs in France to propose what Apple called "unreasonable" legislation that would have forced the computer company to change its business model or withdraw from the French market.
Opposition to the interoperability issues caused by Apple's insistence that only iTunes can sell iPod compatible DRMed music is also mounting in the US, albeit not so much in political circles. A campaign called 'Defective By Design' has staged protests outside Apple stores in eight US cities. This group is actually anti all DRM, and therefore equally opposed to the digital rights management technology of Apple's competitors, even though Microsoft et al make their DRM technology available to a plethora of download platforms so do not contribute so greatly to interoperability problems. However, because Apple's strategy makes DRMed content even more restrictive, they are likely to find themselves a key focus for the anti-DRM movement in the coming months.
The growing protests come as a survey of US students put the iPod as the most "in" thing of the moment, ahead of beer and the internet. Beer nearly always tops this survey by research firm Student Monitor, so the fact the iPod has come top is significant. The fact the iPod is so "in" (whatever that really means) possibly aids the anti-Apple cause - ie the fact that the iPod is so popular means that the fact iTunes is the only source of DRMed music for the device is an even bigger problem - but then again it possibly means that consumer groups might find it hard to persuade the masses to support the anti-Apple movement, even if said consumer groups are acting in the masses' interest.