Steve Jobs ordered to answer questions about possible monopoly iTunes

U.S. Magistrate Judge Howard Lloyd has ruled that Apple CEO Steve Jobs must answer questions from lawyers representing consumers that claim the company created a music-download monopoly with iTunes.

The lawyers in the anti-trust lawsuit will be given two hours to question Jobs, who remains on medical leave while he fights cancer.

In the suit, consumers allege that Apple runs a monopoly with iTunes and iPods, thanks to the Fairplay DRM that blocks music purchased on iTunes from being used on any device not sold by Apple.

RealNetworks, back in 2004, created a software that would let buyers purchase music from Real and sync it to their iPods. When Apple upgraded iTunes, they blocked Real's store, says the complaint.

In ruling that the lawyers could question Jobs, Lloyd says Jobs has "unique, non-repetitive, first hand knowledge about Apple's software updates in October 2004 that rendered the RealNetworks's digital music files once again inoperable with iPods."

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 23 Mar 2011 13:16

snardos

All you have to do is acquire your music illegally, then there are no limitations on what software or hardware you want to use it with.

23.3.2011 14:35 #1

harhumph

I don't like Apple too much at all, but let's be fair, success is not a monopoly. If someone else could compete with a quality product, then maybe they would not dominate the market so much. I would love to have a product out there that could compete with the 64gb Ipod touch, but all these other companies just literally shoot themselves in the feet! I should start my own company and make a killer mp3 player, even if it cost $500.00 it would be tits!

23.3.2011 15:35 #2

xnonsuchx

Apparently too many idiots don't know how to convert files to MP3???

23.3.2011 16:53 #3

g_slide

Originally posted by xnonsuchx: Apparently too many idiots don't know how to convert files to MP3??? Seriously how stupid can people be, in not knowing how to convert their music to mp3. You can even do it with iTunes... oh no now Steve Jobs is going to remove that feature on the next iTunes update, oh well I will use another program to convert it.

I've converted all of my 80+ cds into mp3... took a long time, but now I have it backed up on a hard drive and copied over to my iPhone 4 and iPod. Now I can copy my files onto any mp3 player.

23.3.2011 20:11 #4

cyprusrom

Originally posted by g_slide: Originally posted by xnonsuchx: Apparently too many idiots don't know how to convert files to MP3??? Seriously how stupid can people be, in not knowing how to convert their music to mp3. You can even do it with iTunes... oh no now Steve Jobs is going to remove that feature on the next iTunes update, oh well I will use another program to convert it.

I've converted all of my 80+ cds into mp3... took a long time, but now I have it backed up on a hard drive and copied over to my iPhone 4 and iPod. Now I can copy my files onto any mp3 player. It has nothing to do with converting F@K$#ing CD's to MP3s...
Read the post,again, is about Quote:...Fairplay DRM that blocks music purchased on iTunes from being used on any device not sold by Apple.
Any $h!Thead can convert a CD to mp3 and play it even on a piece of toast...

Piss me off, and I Will ignore You!

25.3.2011 05:52 #5

salsa36

Quote:I've converted all of my 80+ cds into mp3... took a long time, but now I have it backed up on a hard drive and copied over to my iPhone 4 and iPod. Now I can copy my files onto any mp3 player. How did you buy CDs in Itunes?

If you read the article, is referring to music purchased on Itunes and music from real.

25.3.2011 15:01 #6

xnonsuchx

Originally posted by cyprusrom: Originally posted by g_slide: Originally posted by xnonsuchx: Apparently too many idiots don't know how to convert files to MP3??? Seriously how stupid can people be, in not knowing how to convert their music to mp3. You can even do it with iTunes... oh no now Steve Jobs is going to remove that feature on the next iTunes update, oh well I will use another program to convert it.

I've converted all of my 80+ cds into mp3... took a long time, but now I have it backed up on a hard drive and copied over to my iPhone 4 and iPod. Now I can copy my files onto any mp3 player. It has nothing to do with converting F@K$#ing CD's to MP3s...
Read the post,again, is about Quote:...Fairplay DRM that blocks music purchased on iTunes from being used on any device not sold by Apple.
I wasn't talking about ripping CDs, but the "Create MP3 Version" option in iTunes even for purchased music.

25.3.2011 15:27 #7

Mr-Movies

Proprietary Apple products? No way�. LOL

That�s why you pay double or more for products from Apple that are not as good as their competitors� products. Hail to the not so sharp crowd�

25.3.2011 16:20 #8

alexeemo

Originally posted by Mr-Movies: Proprietary Apple products? No way�. LOL

That�s why you pay double or more for products from Apple that are not as good as their competitors� products. Hail to the not so sharp crowd�
Not to mention that it is illegal to be a monopoly. Not everyone that buys music is smart enough to convert to mp3. Even if they are, they shouldn't have to. Apple prides itself in its thuggish control over their products. Blocking a consumers ability to use other media sources should be illegal. I have a Sansa Rhapsody. It plays music and videos. They don't try to control what I do with my media or hardware and it was on sale for less than $100! I will never by an Apple product so long as they continue to try and control what I do with merchandise that I legally paid for.

PSN ID alexeemo, Level 10, 484 Trophies and counting

26.3.2011 15:27 #9

Mr-Movies

And you shouldn't need any iCrap. I had an Archos a good decade before the iPad ever saw the market and I loved how the iPad was revolutionary, a new device to the market, what a joke! I also had a Sensa, loved the menu system on it with exception to the mixer which wasn't good but other than that it was pretty and functional. For the IGroup people, the Sensa is pretty too and really that's all they are concerned about, of course if it was sold by Apple then they would buy it automatically no matter how crappy it was.

You got to love the sheep... :)

26.3.2011 16:59 #10

retepa

Originally posted by salsa36: Quote:I've converted all of my 80+ cds into mp3... took a long time, but now I have it backed up on a hard drive and copied over to my iPhone 4 and iPod. Now I can copy my files onto any mp3 player. How did you buy CDs in Itunes?

If you read the article, is referring to music purchased on Itunes and music from real.

28.3.2011 20:48 #11

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