Apple v. Europe

Posted By Andrew Kamons Thursday, March 30, 2006 - 12:02 PM Share

Apple finds itself on the wrong end of the law once again, this time for alleged copyright violations. Apple Corps, the Beatles record company, is challenging the right for Apple Computers to use their logo when selling music products. The two companies had been eying each other since signing a 1991 settlement, and with iTunes’ popularity, the new suit was simply a matter of time.

Apple Computers is already under the gun in France, where authorities are poised to mandate that iTunes be compatible with non-Apple players, effectively removing it from the market.

Is this an indication of a new European backlash to another American technology giant, à la Microsoft, or is it simply business as usual?

Probably not. Unlike Microsoft, Apple Computers enters the fray with its veneer of cool still spotless, thanks in large part to the iPod and its other music offerings. Challenging Apple in court won't have the same popular resonance that attacking Microsoft did, and chances are the verdicts in each of these public cases will reflect that.

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