EU Hits Out at Apple Over iTunes DRM

The European Union Consumer Protection Commissioner Meglena Kuneva lashed out at the way Apple locks iTunes users to its iPod music players. When users download music from iTunes, the songs are saved in a proprietary format which will only play on their iPod players.

In an interview published by the Geman magazine Focus, Kuneva was quoted as saying, "Do you think it's fine that a CD plays in all CD players, but that an iTunes song only plays in an iPod? I don't. Something has to change."

This statement reflect growing consensus amongst consumer advocacy groups in Europe, with many of them joining forces to put pressure on Apple. Groups in Finland, France, Germany and Norway recently agreed to work together in their battle against Apple and iTunes.