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For six years, the Internet Nexus served as my technology blog, but I've since started blogging at the SuperSite Blog instead. If you're looking for the blog, please head there. --Paul

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

EU consumer chief sounds a softer iTunes note

Reuters:

The European Union's consumer chief has downplayed her views on Apple, backing off the line that its iTunes online music store must become more compatible with other formats.

Meglena Kuneva said during a news conference Tuesday that there is no reason to talk about legal action against the U.S. computer and technology company and that she merely wanted to raise questions.

"I would like, really, to start this debate. What is best to develop this market and to have more consumers enjoying this really very important, very modern way of downloading and enjoying the music?" she said of Apple's iTunes software.

"Somebody drew the comparison with Microsoft," which received a big antitrust blow from the EU a few years ago, Kuneva said. "No, this is not the case because the share of the market of Apple is really not a big one."

That last bit is interesting. I'm pretty sure that the overall importance of a nascent market like digital music outweighs raw observations like the size of the current market, but it's curious that that's even a qualification. It's OK to own a monopoly as long as the market you're dominating isn't big?

Labels: Apple, iPod, iTunes

[ Posted at 8:07 PM | Permalink ]