Europe Hates Apples

I think it has something to do with Apple pie, but I'm not really sure.

Apple computer is being targeted by several European countries including Norway, Sweden and the UK to remove their copy protection scheme (DRM or Digital Rights Management for those in the know) and make iTunes inter-operable with competing MP3 players.

There have also been some consumer protests, but my guess is that the government actions and "consumers" are really organized by competing companies who haven't been able to actually offer a product that even competes with the iPod. And no 2poppy, I am not a conspiratorialist.

What is Apple going to do? I hope they pull out of the markets. The consumer support FOR Apple & iTunes will far outweigh those against. That would show those no-good politicians. Yeah.

Somebody help me why people are supposedly anti-DRM. Without DRM the record companies would never have gone along with iTunes (and Rhapsody, Napster, etc.). What is wrong with protecting the rights of artists and their evil, greedy record companies. I can see customers wanting a choice in MP3 players, which they do. They can buy any ol' crappy Creative or Samsung or Sony MP3 player and load up any old song onto it. Just not ones bought from iTunes (unless you burn the song to a CD then import it into whatever crappy software those crappy players come with).