Norway bans iTunes store, cuts nose, spites face
Socialist paradise keeps users from buying where they want in the name of freedom...
Friday, January 26, 2007 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize News
This week Norway banned Apple from selling songs via iTunes Music store in Norway. This was done on the grounds that Apple's DRM "Fairplay" forces users to play the music via iTunes which they feel infringes on the rights of users (though forcing users to not be able to choose to buy songs from iTunes apparently is a newly discovered freedom).
Europe's obsession with media playing technologies developed in the United States (as seen with its millions in fines against Microsoft) seems confined to media player.
No word yet on whether Norway plans to invade neighboring Finland to take out Nokia's diabolical plan of forcing people who want to play n-Gage games to buy a Nokia n-Gage.
Gillette, maker of razor blades that force users to use Gillette razors declined to comment on whether they were concerned that Norway would target them next.
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ZubaZ
Reply #3 Friday, January 26, 2007 10:30 AM
Reply #3 Friday, January 26, 2007 10:30 AM
From the article in post #2:
MS has rivals? I thought they were all bought out, partnered, or killed?
In regards to Brad's original post: If a company wants to restrict it's product in any way, that's a business choice and the market should be allowed to sort it out.
| A coalition of rivals charged on Friday that Microsoft Corp.'s new Vista operating system coming out next week will perpetuate practices found illegal in the European Union nearly three years ago. |
MS has rivals? I thought they were all bought out, partnered, or killed?
In regards to Brad's original post: If a company wants to restrict it's product in any way, that's a business choice and the market should be allowed to sort it out.
Blueweb
Reply #4 Friday, January 26, 2007 10:39 AM
Reply #4 Friday, January 26, 2007 10:39 AM
This week Norway banned Apple from selling "sons" via iTunes?
I hope thats a typo...
Why would you want to use anything else but Gillette?
I hope thats a typo...
Why would you want to use anything else but Gillette?
WatchDog
Reply #5 Friday, January 26, 2007 10:53 AM
Reply #5 Friday, January 26, 2007 10:53 AM
I know frogboy, that whole protecting consumer rights thing is horrible. It is comforting to know that I can buy a copy of WindowBlinds and actually use it even though I didn't purchase my computer from Dell.
queezendorf
Reply #6 Friday, January 26, 2007 11:06 AM
Reply #6 Friday, January 26, 2007 11:06 AM
LOL! This is too funny. It's amazing how people just want to cause problems. Why can't people just let good things happen. I have never once had a problem with Apple. I love my ipod, and will not trade it for anything else. Besides, there are tons of other avenues they could explore with itunes. Seeing that you can burn a cd of your songs means you can still transfer it to another device, you just have to get clever and re-rip it. =P Consumers are usually not all that bright, and I know I have had my share of faults, but at some point you just have to accept resposibility for your choices, and get clever when you have a problem while not pointing fingers.
Hopefully they don't try to make xbox play ps3 games, or nintendo play playstation games.... see where this is going?
Hopefully they don't try to make xbox play ps3 games, or nintendo play playstation games.... see where this is going?
messiah1
Reply #7 Friday, January 26, 2007 11:42 AM
Reply #7 Friday, January 26, 2007 11:42 AM
I wouldn't want Apple Inc. selling my sons on iTunes either. I kinda like my sons. 
andrew_
Reply #8 Friday, January 26, 2007 12:06 PM
Reply #8 Friday, January 26, 2007 12:06 PM
Good lord! Theyre selling sons in Norway! Savages!
MaxIreland
Reply #9 Friday, January 26, 2007 12:39 PM
Reply #9 Friday, January 26, 2007 12:39 PM
I gotta say I'm with Norway on this one. Apple's iTunes, whether you like it or not, has one of the best collections of legally downloadable music available but its only of use to you if you use an ipod. I personally dont like ipods, they're not to my taste, but I would love to be able to dl music from iTunes and put it onto whichever media player I wished without the rigmarole of burning to a cd and then re-ripping it.
I'm not in the frame of mind that all the music should be DRM free, I think that in Apples attempt to monopolize on the media downloads market, it/they failed to realise that they'd get many more customers if their media was in a format compatible with all media players. Even if this meant that their own format be more readily licensed out.
The 'Nokia N-gage' and 'Gillette' comments are childish at best Brad, if I make a cup of coffee, I want to used whatever cup I want. If I want to download media, I want to use whatever player I want. My 5 cents (in euros).
I'm not in the frame of mind that all the music should be DRM free, I think that in Apples attempt to monopolize on the media downloads market, it/they failed to realise that they'd get many more customers if their media was in a format compatible with all media players. Even if this meant that their own format be more readily licensed out.
The 'Nokia N-gage' and 'Gillette' comments are childish at best Brad, if I make a cup of coffee, I want to used whatever cup I want. If I want to download media, I want to use whatever player I want. My 5 cents (in euros).
seldomseen
Reply #11 Friday, January 26, 2007 2:33 PM
Reply #11 Friday, January 26, 2007 2:33 PM
Yah, you can tell a Norwegian, but ya can't tell 'em much.
Big Doug
Reply #12 Friday, January 26, 2007 2:46 PM
Reply #12 Friday, January 26, 2007 2:46 PM
Give Brad a break everyone. He's a busy guy, and he'll fix it when he's able to.
messiah1
Reply #13 Friday, January 26, 2007 3:57 PM
You don't 'have' to have an iPod to use iTunes. You can download iTunes and use without the iPod.
Fix what Big Boug? We're just giving him a hard time about the 'sons'. No harm meant.
Reply #13 Friday, January 26, 2007 3:57 PM
| but its only of use to you if you use an ipod |
You don't 'have' to have an iPod to use iTunes. You can download iTunes and use without the iPod.
Fix what Big Boug? We're just giving him a hard time about the 'sons'. No harm meant.
thomassen
Reply #14 Friday, January 26, 2007 5:35 PM
Get them now quickly while we got a two for one offer!
Reply #14 Friday, January 26, 2007 5:35 PM
| Good lord! Theyre selling sons in Norway! Savages! |
Get them now quickly while we got a two for one offer!
Frogboy
Reply #16 Friday, January 26, 2007 7:22 PM
Reply #16 Friday, January 26, 2007 7:22 PM
| Good lord! Theyre selling sons in Norway! Savages! |
I told you! Those blond children go for a mint!
Frogboy
Reply #17 Friday, January 26, 2007 7:24 PM
Reply #17 Friday, January 26, 2007 7:24 PM
| The 'Nokia N-gage' and 'Gillette' comments are childish at best Brad, if I make a cup of coffee, I want to used whatever cup I want. If I want to download media, I want to use whatever player I want. My 5 cents (in euros). |
I wasn't aware that Apple was forcing people to buy music from iTunes. You don't have to buy your music from iTunes's music store.
If I make coffee that only can be used in my cup, you can choose not to buy my coffee.
thecoomester
Reply #18 Friday, January 26, 2007 8:31 PM
Reply #18 Friday, January 26, 2007 8:31 PM
I feel compelled to comment on this. I'm gonna have to side with Norway on the issue. Here is my point of view: Apple does not own the songs they sell, nor do they make the songs they sell. They are only a store where you purchase the music. Lets say I went to a Best Buy to buy a CD but I can only play the CD on a Best Buy CD player. But, I could play it on different equipment if I ripped and re-burned it. Now that's getting to be a bit much to be able to listen to a CD that a legally bought for my own use. But..if I didn't want to do that, I could maybe go to FYE and get my CD there...uh-oh, I have to have a FYE CD player to listen to it. See where this is going? Apple doesn't make the music, they are only selling it. What if every store made you use their own equipment to utilize a product that you bought? That would really suck.
Adamness
Reply #19 Friday, January 26, 2007 8:49 PM
Indeed. Apple doesn't force anyone to use iTunes, but a lot of the music on iTunes isn't available on DRM-free or more relaxed DRM digital music stores. iTunes has special deals with record labels that their music will only be on iTunes, so in essence, you either have to buy a CD, use iTunes, pirate the music, or go with out. None are horrible options, but as 'thecoomester' was saying, if every company created a closed environment (especially for a product they don't actually own), the consumer loses.
Reply #19 Friday, January 26, 2007 8:49 PM
| What if every store made you use their own equipment to utilize a product that you bought? That would really suck. |
Indeed. Apple doesn't force anyone to use iTunes, but a lot of the music on iTunes isn't available on DRM-free or more relaxed DRM digital music stores. iTunes has special deals with record labels that their music will only be on iTunes, so in essence, you either have to buy a CD, use iTunes, pirate the music, or go with out. None are horrible options, but as 'thecoomester' was saying, if every company created a closed environment (especially for a product they don't actually own), the consumer loses.
Frogboy
Reply #20 Saturday, January 27, 2007 12:46 AM
Reply #20 Saturday, January 27, 2007 12:46 AM
| I feel compelled to comment on this. I'm gonna have to side with Norway on the issue. Here is my point of view: Apple does not own the songs they sell, nor do they make the songs they sell. They are only a store where you purchase the music. Lets say I went to a Best Buy to buy a CD but I can only play the CD on a Best Buy CD player. But, I could play it on different equipment if I ripped and re-burned it. Now that's getting to be a bit much to be able to listen to a CD that a legally bought for my own use. But..if I didn't want to do that, I could maybe go to FYE and get my CD there...uh-oh, I have to have a FYE CD player to listen to it. See where this is going? Apple doesn't make the music, they are only selling it. What if every store made you use their own equipment to utilize a product that you bought? That would really suck. |
Let's say we agree totally on your point. How does that make Norway's GOVERNMENT right? Norway's government is preventing its people from making a free choice.
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Reply #1 Friday, January 26, 2007 10:12 AM
Is this tongue in cheek ? I really doubt its some kind of anti-american stunt by us pesky europeans
(I'm a european citizen and i live in the UK , yes that country that is a US war ally in Iraq and Afganistan ,The UK is part of the EU)
I mean us europeans just have a tendency to write to our elected politicians and point out the annoying fact that itunes music should be open to playing on other players than just ipods (designed by a european from the UK) , that is a democratic consumers right , just as CDs should universally play on all players.
Where is the problem ? Since worldwide legal music sales are not sold on Ngage cartridges or razorblades I'm totally missing the comparison.
PS i certainly don't consider myself a socialist and what that has to do with value for money and consumer rights is an even bigger guess.