COPENHAGEN, June 14 (Reuters) - Consumer-rights protection agencies in Denmark, Norway and Sweden have given Apple Computer until Aug. 1 to respond to their claim that the U.S. firm's iTunes service breaches Scandinavian consumer laws.
The consumer agencies in the three countries last week wrote to Apple alleging that customers had to relinquish fundamental rights such as the right to freely use legally bought products in order to download music from iTunes.
"We know our Norwegian colleagues are prepared to take the issue to court and of course if they get a ruling in Norway it will be very interesting for us because our consumer laws are so similar," Marlene Winter at Denmark's National Consumer Agency told Reuters on Wednesday.
Winter said an original June 21 deadline for Apple to reply to the claims had been extended to August 1.
In the letter sent last week, the Scandinavian agencies claim Apple's standard customer contract violated Norwegian law and were clearly unbalanced, disadvantaging the customer.
In a statement on the Web site of the Norwegian Consumer Ombudsman, the agency said one of its major concerns was that iTunes limits customers´ right to freely use legally purchased products by implementing software meant to protect downloaded files from illegal copying and distribution.
The technology, known as Digital Rights Management (DRM), means that the only portable players able to play files downloaded form iTunes are Apple's own iPods.
The Scandinavian agencies said they believe that iTunes violates fundamental Nordic consumer protection principles and laws and have demanded that Apple makes a number of changes to its customer contracts in order to comply.
If a court finds that iTunes violates Norwegian marketing laws, Apple could be fined and required to shut its Norwegian site.
The consumer agencies in the three countries last week wrote to Apple alleging that customers had to relinquish fundamental rights such as the right to freely use legally bought products in order to download music from iTunes.
"We know our Norwegian colleagues are prepared to take the issue to court and of course if they get a ruling in Norway it will be very interesting for us because our consumer laws are so similar," Marlene Winter at Denmark's National Consumer Agency told Reuters on Wednesday.
Winter said an original June 21 deadline for Apple to reply to the claims had been extended to August 1.
In the letter sent last week, the Scandinavian agencies claim Apple's standard customer contract violated Norwegian law and were clearly unbalanced, disadvantaging the customer.
In a statement on the Web site of the Norwegian Consumer Ombudsman, the agency said one of its major concerns was that iTunes limits customers´ right to freely use legally purchased products by implementing software meant to protect downloaded files from illegal copying and distribution.
The technology, known as Digital Rights Management (DRM), means that the only portable players able to play files downloaded form iTunes are Apple's own iPods.
The Scandinavian agencies said they believe that iTunes violates fundamental Nordic consumer protection principles and laws and have demanded that Apple makes a number of changes to its customer contracts in order to comply.
If a court finds that iTunes violates Norwegian marketing laws, Apple could be fined and required to shut its Norwegian site.
