EU: Apple Dances to the iTunes

The European Commission on Tuesday confirmed to have opened an anti trust probe into Apple’s iTunes over concerns of how the corporate giant sells its music online through its popular music store the iTunes.

The commission alleged distribution agreements Apple has signed with the record labels to sell their music on the iTunes online stores in EU countries "contain territorial sales restrictions which violate" EU competition rules.

The probe comes as a fallout of the Apple policy of only the host country being given access to the music store for download yet again compatible with only the iPod amongst the digital players.

"Consumers are thus restricted in choice of where to buy music and consequently what music is available, and at what price," it said in a statement. "For example, to buy a music download from the iTunes' Belgian online store a consumer must use a credit card issued by a bank with an address in Belgium."

Apple spokesman Steve Dowling said on Monday the company wanted to operate a single store for all of Europe, but music labels and publishers said there were limits to the rights that they could grant to Apple.

"We don't believe Apple did anything to violate EU law," he said. "We will continue to work with the EU to resolve this matter."

The EU probe is a result of the efforts of the European consumer rights groups in Germany, France, the Netherlands and Nordic countries to force Apple to change the rules it imposes on its online music store customers.

These groups waging a battle against the company expect, Apple to lift the limits preventing consumers from playing their downloads on digital players other than Apple's iPod. In February, Norway, which is not a member of EU, declared those limits illegal and gave Apple until October 1 to change its compatibility rules or face legal action and fines.

The Apple thus have two months to reply to the probe and hopefully the decision shall be in the general interest of the music lovers.