I realize terms and pricing have to be different for Europe--NOT necessarily because Apple wants them to be (they may), but because of different laws, taxes, and different companies with different existing deals.
The point is, Apple has been VERY indie-friendly thus far. In the US, Apple has standard terms for all labels, putting indies on an equal footing with big labels. They've been praised for that. In addition, Apple has clearly been willing to accept a very small profit (in fact none, at first) on the iTunes Store. Short-term greed hasn't been their mode of operation so far--they've been more long-sighted, selling iPods, promoting themselves vs. Microsoft, etc.
Now, as I said, we don't know... they MAY have changed tactics and decided to stick it to the independents in Europe (perhaps even bowing to pressure from bigger labels). But that's not the only possibility here, and not a conclusion to just jump to.
In other words, the quote "It appears Apple has presented terms to Europe's independents that are unacceptable to them, and the computer company is not prepared to shift its position" could also be phrased as, "It appears Europe's independents are demanding terms that are unacceptable to Apple, and the independents are not prepared to shift their position." The phrasing in the article was loaded, but in fact, says nothing about one side being the hold-up while the other is willing to deal. BOTH sides are objecting to the others' terms.
Beyond that, we don't have enough details to judge.
And I agree--get it out there, and improve it from there. There's something to be said for Apple's practice of "waiting to get it right," but that need not be taken to the extreme in this case.
