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EU to Investigate iTunes UK Pricing

By Ed Oswald, BetaNews

February 25, 2005, 12:59 PM

The EU has signaled its intention to investigate Apple's iTunes over what users have complained is unfair pricing. While the EU maintains that this is an informal investigation and they have only requested information from Apple, the move could be seen as a victory for UK consumer group Which? who first publicized the issue in September.

According the complaint, digital downloads in Britain cost 79 pence ($1.51 USD) versus 99 euro cents ($1.31 USD) across the rest of the EU. The complaint argues that downloads should cost the same no matter where the user may be located. It should be noted, however, that a similar problem occurs in the United States; downloads in Canada cost 80 cents versus 99 cents in the US.

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By Mountain_Man

posted Feb 28, 2005 - 9:30 PM

All of you complainers of this issue aren't even from UK!

Score: 0

By bourgeoisdude

posted Feb 25, 2005 - 1:47 PM

Don't get me wrong, I don't like what the EU has been doing either--but it appears betanews is interested in stirring up controversy with the EU. Just that Betanews seems to have all the news about them as opposed to other news web sites, that's all.

Score: 0

By eoswald

posted Feb 25, 2005 - 7:57 PM

While yes, we have had a lot of European centric news lately, please keep in mind our user base is a little more international than other technology news sites.

A good portion of our users are from Europe, so we must also offer content for them as well. This is not intended to stir up any kind of controversy.

Hope this answers your concerns.

Score: 0

By rob1479

edited Feb 25, 2005 - 3:46 PM

So, companies can't set their own pricing policy? Who is the EU to dictate how companies can price their services? If a company wants to make music downloads 79 pence in the UK vs 99 euro cents across the rest of the EU, it seems to me that it would be the companies prerogative to do so.

Score: 0

By mancub

posted Feb 26, 2005 - 3:35 PM

lets get with it we are heading for a united states of europe

Score: 0

By shicaca

posted Feb 25, 2005 - 7:42 PM

For real. It's called cost of living, and location is everything.

If I go to California it's going to cost me a HECK of a lot more than it costs me to live on the east coast, but that's because they make more there. It's the EU's fault for making their $$ so highly rated. Give us some of it and we'll fix it for ya ;)

Another example? I can buy milk religiously for $1 a half gallon mostly b/c I'm in farm country. If I were to go to Hawaii I'd spend $3 - 5 for the same thing. Why? BECAUSE! Maybe the UK artists are charging more for their songs? Who knows, who cares. They can b**** all they want, but if they aren't careful they'll just piss off Apple and they'll pull iTunes from the EU. That'll show 'em.

Score: 0

By spiffyjeff

posted Feb 26, 2005 - 3:31 AM

pull itunes from EU - I doubt it.
Your examples about buying milk is different. I dont think It costs more to sell songs there, no more to ship, as it is downloaded off the net.

There is a difference between an original and a cheap copy.

Score: 0

By spiffyjeff

posted Feb 25, 2005 - 2:09 PM

I personally like to know what's going on in other parts of the world. To not speak of other things is to pretend they don't exist.

Score: 0

By normangerman

posted Feb 25, 2005 - 7:08 PM

Hah, we don't even Have the iTunes music store here in Australia. Not that I care, I use nineMSN (Australian Version of MSN) and Windows Media Player.

Oh, and how can Apple dictate iPod users to use iTunes? We should be able to have a choice here!

Score: 0

By BklynKid

posted Feb 26, 2005 - 9:35 AM

You have a choice, in fact you have many choices.

Anapod is my favorite, I actually paid for it. Top of Anapod, there are a couple other programs that replace iTunes as well, can't remember the names tho.

Score: 0

By shicaca

posted Feb 25, 2005 - 7:44 PM

You don't have to, really. You just have to be intelligent enough to be able to see how it works.

People complain constantly that they can't pull songs off their iPod b/c it doesn't work like that. I'm sorry to tell everybody this, but you can. I had my computer dump some of my songs for some reason and I just grabbed them off the portable hard drive we so lovingly call the iPod and now I'm enjoying those songs again.

Score: 0

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