Record companies accused of restrictive practices

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION issued a statement, as expected, accusing Apple and major record companies of violating the EC Treaty rules which forbid restrictive business practices.

Apple, it said, operates different Itunes on line stores in the EU and in a Statement of Objection, the commissioners said the distribution agreements between Apple and the major record companies violate Article 81 of the EC Treaty.

There's no suggestion that Apple is in a dominant market position and it appears the EC doesn't give a flying rabbit for Apple's use of digital rights management software. Well, it doesn't need to care any more, anyroad.

But the Statement of Objection is a formal step in European antitrust investigations.