That pesky media regulator OfCom says it is working with its counterparts around the EU to reach a standard policy on the use of a device which allows iPod owners to listen to their MP3 collections through a radio.
The clever little iTrip device plugs into an iPod's headphone socket and converts the audio output into an FM radio signal which can be picked up by any radio tuner within an approximate fifteen feet radius. The idea behind the device is it enables iPod users to listen to their MP3 collections through a proper sound system, in particular a car stereo.
However, use of the iTrip in the UK is technically illegal because it is against the law for individuals to make even low-power radio transmissions on the grounds that, in theory, they can interfere with legal stations using the same frequencies. OfCom currently administer those laws.
But Don Foster of the Liberal Democrats has said that OfCom must "provide compelling evidence" as to why the rules, that come from the 1949 Wireless Telegraphy Act, should continue to be enforced. He told reporters that it is "ridiculous that 1940s legislation is preventing the iPod generation from enjoying their music using the latest gadgets. iTrips can be used in the US without disturbing the airwaves, so [Ofcom] must provide compelling evidence why they can't be used here."
Responding, Clayton Hirst of OfCom told reporters last week that his organisation is "working with other European administrations to develop a common set of standards to allow some low-power devices to be sold and used in the UK". That said, while some iTrips may be authorised for use in the next year or so, not all devices currently available will necessarily adhere to the rules OfCom et al put in place, so if you buy one off some dodgy market stall somewhere, don't automatically assume that when the law catches up its use will definitely become legal.