Filed under: iPod Family, iTS, iTunes, Bad Apple
The Netherlands Consumers Union takes on iTunes DRM
Today's International Herald Tribune reports that the European backlash against iTunes DRM just gained another member. The Dutch Consumentenbond (Consumer's Union) has filed complaints against Apple with both the anti-monopoly authority and the consumer's authority of the Netherlands.
TUAW reader Arjan writes, "This isn't a lawsuit, but both the NMA and the consumer's authority have the power to impose significant fines."
According to the Herald Tribune article, Consumentenbond spokesman Ewald van Kouwen said, "When you buy a music CD it doesn't play only on players made by Panasonic. People who download a song from iTunes shouldn't be bound to an iPod for the rest of their lives."
While this move does not seem tied into the earlier post today about Norway, nor to efforts in France and Germany to take on similar issues, it's clear that Europe is becoming a flash point for the questions of consumer rights, contract and copyright law.
Thanks AJvK
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jens said 2:41PM on 1-25-2007
I'm from the Netherlands and let me say the Consumentenbond sucks. They don't know anything about computers and have been biased about everything Apple made since the beginning.
They couldn't find anything bad to say about the iPod but now they finally did. But this is not a govermental organisation so I wouldn't take it as seriously as the other countries where the goverment is involved.
Reply
MAB3 said 2:44PM on 1-25-2007
I wonder what % of iTunes revenue all of these countries add up to, and what their market share is in each?
If they faced oneous fines and if Apple wanted to force the issue, they could just shut down iTunes purchases in, say the Netherlands, and see how users like that.
More of a MS, tactic, yes, but an interesting conjecture.
Reply
iDarbert said 3:16PM on 1-25-2007
I don't get it... why must they always take on Fairplay instead of more invasive and less permissive DRMs that don't fade away when you burn the tracks to a CD?
I wonder if this has something to do with how widespread iTunes is...
Reply
Mike said 4:00PM on 1-25-2007
I don't get why these organizations and governments keep filing suit against Apple, as opposed to the recording companies. It's like suing an auto dealership for selling a defective car, rather than the automobile manufacturer. Apple is just the middle man here.
Reply
Greg said 4:07PM on 1-25-2007
I really don't get this. People who buy into iPod/iTunes know what they are getting into. Its not like they're hiding something. If you want to change music players, burn you iTunes to CD and rip it with another program and move it. Your not locked in to iTunes.
Reply
Jules Stoop said 11:12PM on 1-25-2007
The dutch "consumentenbond" are a bunh of clueless idiots. At least, that's what most (vocal) dutch users of Apple products have been saying for years. (and I've come to agree wholeheartedly)
Reply
Marco F. said 4:23AM on 1-26-2007
I can only agree with Jules. And add to it that the NMA is the same bunch of stupid mongrels. They're really not acting on the voice of the public. If the public didn't want iTunes (and it's very clear communicated DRM policy), they wouldn't buy it. But alas, they do, and only the hardcore geek opensource whatsitcalled community is complaining about the DRM. For the regular user, he/she really doesn't care. As long as he/she can play his/her music on his/her iPod, burn a couple of CDs for the car audio and stream the collection through the local LAN, it's fine.
Those "consumer organizations" should either be cancelled, or they should refocus and really focus on CONSUMER needs, not on some stupid regulatory stuff no-one really cares about.
Reply
Danny said 5:14AM on 1-26-2007
If you buy a CD, it plays on (almost) every CD players. Right. But you don't download Music from iTunes to your iPod or any other portable player. You download it to a computer (pc or mac). It plays on EVERY computer.
So buying and listening music from iTunes doesn't give you ANY restrictions there.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not a fan of DRM at all. But such cases are just stupid. But unfortunately their getting bigger. More and more european countries are jumping on that train.
I just started to enjoy downloading on iTunes and buy more and more there, because it's so easy. But go, close iTunes over here and throw me back to illegal downloads.
Reply
John said 10:10PM on 1-26-2007
Mike - suing the dealer for defectively made cars is the norm in the United States. The idea is that they implead the manufacturer to share the liability (and if it is truly a manufacturing defect, the sharing ratio is 0/100).
Nobody has to buy music through iTunes. Nobody is forced to use the iPod. There are many other options available.
Mike - The record companies are the owners - they are under no obligation to sell you anything. They can withhold all music from the market, if they wish.
Most interestingly, the CD was not an open standard by any means either. Every CD sold (even CDR media) resulted in a licensing fee to Philips. Every player made resulted in a licensing fee to Philips....Philips is a Dutch company....So sure, you could play a CD on any CD player, but most people are completely ignorant of the hidden costs--- every CD and player passed on to the consumer the licensing fees.
With CD sales totally shellacked, maybe the proposed action against Apple is the result of animus, no? CD sales are not increasing anymore...the money has to come from somewhere.
Reply