You're joking, right Dansker?

They invented it, made it good, why should they allow someone else to make money off their invention? We're not talking about the cure for AIDS here. There's more outrage over corporate protections for music than vaccines. THat's ridiculous.

And besides, you don't need an iPod to listen to your iTunes music. I know. I don't own an iPod. I burn the music onto a disc and listen to it in a CD player. You remember those don't you? Or are you one of these children that was born yesterday?

OK, sorry for being snotty, but your argument seems rather immature. Kind of a "I don't wanna!" type of thing. Get over it man, that's the free market. iTunes is sort of at the front end of this thing: digital media at a fair and highly competitive price. And it works. Why should they suffer for doing things right?

The only thing I'd like to see Apple do better is offer their iPods and other hardware at a cheaper price. I think they're starting to do that somewhat by offering products in Wal-Mart (which is weird), but I guess we'll just have to see.

We're not talking about the cure for AIDS here. There's more outrage over corporate protections for music than vaccines. THat's ridiculous.

Word.

--------- funmonkey1:
As a norwegian typing this from Oslo, all I can say is thank god the scandinavian countries still a little bit of --- wait for it ---- COMMON SENSE.

It is ridiculous that I cannot use what I have purchased the way I would like. Further, Apple's argument its DRM actually curbs piracy is absolute bullshiat. It seems many consumers have for far too long stood passively by whilst the media industries collude together to fundamentally change what should be a no brainer - I bought the song, movie, etc., and therefore can play it, save it, back it up as I see fit.
--------------------

I bought a vacuum cleaner and I can't use it as a sex toy. It is ridiculous that I cannot use what I have purchased the way I would like. Clearly, something must be done.

Where are the people complaining their Xbox doesn't run PS2 games?

you don't need an iPod to listen to your iTunes music... I burn the music onto a disc and listen to it in a CD player.

Ah, satire!

If you want to be able to play your songs on any player out there, simply buy from AllofMP3.

It's cheaper, and the songs can be played on any device you own.

Please explain why Microsoft is a monopoly then Locoz

Tuxedobob
Look at my sarcastic post 5 posts above yours.

I love how everytime you talk about the drm'ed itunes files, there's ALWAYS a genius to teach you how to remove the DRM and the quality of the file by ripping it twice.

Look, I'm all for interoperability- I'm not a fan of Apple's proprietary iTunes/iPod business plans at all.

But if these Scandinavians are serious about these ideals, then they need to force every software manufacturer that releases Windows-only software to make their product interoperable with the Mac OS. To not do so is a blatant double standard, and I don't think we ought to stand for such blatant anti-Apple discrimination.

HAHA!

YOU PAY FOR MP3s!


/owns an iPod
//has never paid for an mp3

tuxedobob: Where are the people complaining their Xbox doesn't run PS2 games?

They just found out about mod chips and are currently out buying them and soldering them in.

They just found out about mod chips and are currently out buying them and soldering them in.


Or just get the emulator programs and play the games on your computer

/Knows someone with a PS1 and PS2 emulator on his computer.

SchlingFo

They just found out about mod chips and are currently out buying them and soldering them in.

What is this mumbo-jumbo?! Is this a new peripheral I can purchase for my Home Entertainment Theatre at Best Buy? iMod? I will pay $499.98 but not a cent more!


himmyt

They invented it, made it good,

LOL. u n00b.

Anyone willing to try to take an American company down a notch or two is OK in my book.

damn dirty vikings trying to destroy capitalism. LET THE CUSTOMERS DECIDE WITH THEIR WALLETS!!

then they need to force every software manufacturer that releases Windows-only software to make their product interoperable with the Mac OS

How about this:

"Fark.com, now only available on a Mac!"

You get the picture?

There is nothing inherent about a music file that prevents it from being played on different devices. Windows/Mac programs are a completely different story.

Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!

Bloody Vikings.


/iTunes doesn't have SPAM, either.
//Hmmm....
///I'll have the eggs, bacon, slashies, and SPAM.

I can't believe the number of whiners in this thread who are pissed at iTunes, yet I'm sure think it's ok that Microsoft has so much godamn proprietary software that WON'T WORK ON MY MAC!

OK, Microsoft got a raw deal in the 90s with the antitrust suits. That was horsecrap too. All the asshats in Congress jumped on a tech bandwagon so they could go home and say they were trust-busters like Teddy Roosevelt come election time. Which is bull crap because not one of them has a shred of TR's integrity.

Oh, and Dansker, you can't argue for choice and against choice in the same thread. It's not a choice for companies or consumers if all products are required to be similar. That's like telling Guinness they have to produce beer according to Anheiser-Busch recipes.

In one case, you're right. PCs have a right to sell rights to their patents and make cheap imitations and every idiot out there can buy them if they want. That is called choice.

I was never arguing that all products should be the same as Apple. I was arguing that Apple shouldn't be forced to make their products available to cheap imitators. I think you need to have your morning coffee.

cvinny485:
damn dirty vikings trying to destroy capitalism. LET THE CUSTOMERS DECIDE WITH THEIR WALLETS!!

When Apple has exclusive deals with music labels making them the sole web distributers, the customer's choice is limited.

"Please explain why Microsoft is a monopoly then Locoz"

It isn't illegal to be a monopoly, it's illegal to abuse monopoly power. That's why MS got in trouble.

I use an iRiver and allofmp3.com.

If you want to play your iTunes music on other players (ie, strip out the DRM), check out a program called jHymn. I don't believe it's working with iTunes 6 yet, but it worked great for me with iTunes 5.

draelyn: I can't believe the number of whiners in this thread who are pissed at iTunes, yet I'm sure think it's ok that Microsoft has so much godamn proprietary software that WON'T WORK ON MY MAC!

To be fair, it would take a whole shiatload of extra work on the part of Microsoft to make their software compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems.

Apple has to put in extra work in order to make their files incompatible with other media devices.

draelyn:
I can't believe the number of whiners in this thread who are pissed at iTunes, yet I'm sure think it's ok that Microsoft has so much godamn proprietary software that WON'T WORK ON MY MAC!

If the music was composed, performed, recorded and produced by Apple, you would have a point.

neonrisk: Did you just call me a noob? Ha, ha ha ha.

Dude, you're too funny. I know Apple didn't invent digital information, but iTunes is their invention. That's all I was saying.

I have lots of respect for anyone who has balls to call someone else a noob. Nice, seriously.

After this, I hope they take on the CD industry. Turns out I can't use them because they don't support my 8 track. fark that, I bought it, I should be able to use whatever player I want.

/Maybe I should try my Victrola...

So Dell should sell programs that only work on Dell computers?

Every major player who's not just a bargin bin reseller sells some programs that only work on their hardware or with their operating systems. IBM sells AIX which only runs on their P-Series hardware, SGI sells (or sold) IRIX which only runs on their hardware. Hewlett-Packard sells enterprise-class workload management software that, surprise, is only available for the HP-UX operating system (which, of course, only runs on HP hardware -- imagine that!). This is nothing new. Sun recently complained to IBM that Solaris x86 was not supported by IBM's DB2. Not sure what came of that.

It's not Apple's fault that these other mp3 device manufacturers couldn't be bothered to set up their own music distribution infrastructure (or they've tried and failed).

/not an apple zealot. really.
//just doesn't like government regulation for non-critical services

I have much more of a problem with Musicmatch. At least with itunes, I have never had music simply stop working, due to some incomprehensible error.

...the company, which has popularised music downloading, would...

Begs to differ:



/MP3 and lossy audio are shiat.
//FLAC and APE rule.
///Know it, bizzatch.

Dansker: I'm defending that other guy now. No, the music wasn't written, played and produced by Apple, but the artists and studios can choose who they list with to sell their music.

See, choice. None of the artists have to sell their sets to iTunes if they don't want. You keep arguing that everything should be for your convenience, and then try to masquerade it as "choice."

When you get your cup of coffee, pick up a dictionary too.

10:35:16 AM Merovech
I'm writing my congressman and DEMAND that EVERY television fit EVERY entertainment center. Who's with me??

LOL, I'm right there with you.

Apple took all the risk, spent the money developing this product, they very cleverly got control of the price of tunes (the music industry is still pissed), had several great marketing campaigns . . . and the "reward" for them is to have lesser competitors lean on their governments to allow others to take a free ride on Apple.

F France. And I am sorry to see the Vikings cast their lot with them.

I was arguing that Apple shouldn't be forced to make their products available to cheap imitators.

I didn't realize Apple was a record company.

2006-06-11 11:09:30 AM Dansker

cvinny485:
damn dirty vikings trying to destroy capitalism. LET THE CUSTOMERS DECIDE WITH THEIR WALLETS!!

When Apple has exclusive deals with music labels making them the sole web distributers, the customer's choice is limited.

When those music labels find that those exclusive deals hurting their bottom line, then they won't do it. Why should apple change their policies just because a small minority doesn't like it. Just quit whining and use something else if you don't like it.

"would reopen the door to pirate music sites, which have been hurt by the success of Apple's integrated iTunes and iPod."

Yeah, BitTorrent and Usenet are virtually empty these days.

webpages->napster->morpheus/grokster/kazaa->limewire/gnutella->soulseek->torre nts

iTunes is for suckers

FARK is boring today,, think I'll go download some iTunes into my iPod:P

cvinny485:
Why should apple change their policies just because a small minority doesn't like it. Just quit whining and use something else if you don't like it.

Actually the problems with lack of interoperability is a minor point in the Scandinavian complaints.

The stuff Apple may be fined for are the Term and Conditions on iTunes which are in conflict with the consumer laws in these countries. So to answer you question: They should change their policies if they are illegal.

And the Scandinavians are not singling out Apple; they're going after MSN next.

Norway, Sweden, Denmark may fine Apple over iTunes

I'm happy to have terrible hearing. I seem to get equal enjoyment from my second-hand 128k rips on a portable mp3 player and from an original CD being played on a good hifi.

ITunes act like they farking invented music anyway - the amount of hoops they want you to jump through keeps me using alternative devices.

neonrisk: OK, I thought you might be reasonable, but I guess I was wrong.

See the post below to Dansker. If the artists want their music listed with various web distributors, then that's something they need to take up with the record label when discussing distribution contracts.

Everytime media or artwork is transfered from one medium to another, it's required for a new contract to be signed, with the artist releasing the rights for that new medium. Unless web distribution is part of the original contract.

I know because a newspaper I use to work for wanted to put my stories on the web; so they asked me to sign a release for new medium...I CHOSE not to sign it because I was quitting the paper and I didn't want them re-using my content, especially since I was a freelancer anyway and wouldn't get paid for the re-use.

Again, choice. You can get down on the dictionary that Dansker buys.

I have an Ipod because from what I saw at Best Buy, it was the superior MP3 player (bigger hard drive, better display, better interface) the head phones suck, but those were easily replaced.

I have never shopped on Itunes. I did not know about any restrictions on Itunes until today when I RTFA. But now I know. And knowing is half the battle.

himmyt:
See, choice. None of the artists have to sell their sets to iTunes if they don't want.

I'm willing to bet the artists don't get much of a say in the matter.

TheDauminator: If you dont like iTunes dont use it.

Attention Apple: If you want to do business in a country, you'd better follow it laws. At least, unless it's USA, where it seems politicians are fairly easily bought.

Ahhh.. yes, any time a company comes to dominate a market it must be punished for it's success.

I wonder if at some point companies are going to realize this.. and either choose not to market their goods in places that choose to punish the most successful companies.. or if they will simply stop spending millions and millions of dollars trying to create the "best" or "newest" product and instead just wait to copy whoever does.

If the consumer thinks iTunes has an unfair advantage.. they should stop buying iTunes. If the consumer didn't do their research and thought it'd play anything, well.. that's the consumer's fault. No one is forcing anyone to buy/use an Apple product.

Heck, this is like saying MS has the dominate market in office software and so MS _must_ make it so that all of their software works on a Apple computer or a linux one. I know most (if not all) MS office products do.. but does it really make sense to say MS must port it's products to work on another company's product??

That smug fark on the right deserves to choke-and-die on his own cock.

Vikings and longboats? Er, I'm not so sure that's a great combination.

The last time it happened, some people got arrested for lewd conduct.

That smug fark on the right deserves to choke-and-die on his own cock.

/repost because apparently i cant have the word shiat in my file-name

waiting4godot: Ahhh.. yes, any time a company comes to dominate a market it must be punished for it's success.

See, this is about consumer protection laws, not about punishing anyone for anything but breaking the law.

Apple is trying to tell people that they lose certain rights that you cannot lose under the country's laws no matter how many EULAs you click "I agree" to. This is a big no-no, and might even be in the US if they were careless enough about their wording.

waiting4godot:
Ahhh.. yes, any time a company comes to dominate a market it must be punished for it's success.

They are being fined for illegal Terms and Conditions on their website, not for their success.

As many of you have mentioned in the previous posts:

The capability to rip downloaded music from iTunes into MP3, WMA, whatever...already exists. All these government bozos are just techno tards...
There are other download services out there that don't use the AAC format...
People could always just purchase the music CD's and rip whatever they want...
Der, duh, doh, do-dah, dorx.

They want to make a buck suing someone.

Im siding with the plaintiff, although its easy enough to convert your itunes, or get them already converted. The music industry is BS; if they want to play games, fark'em.

/had an not-itunes mp3 player before itunes existed
//wonders what took people so long
///I dont use portable audio
////but I still hate the recording industry