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European music update: Apple announces uniform pricing, UK to legalize CD ripping
We have two bits of probably unrelated news about digital music in Europe to share today. First up, Apple has announced plans to establish uniform pricing for iTunes downloads throughout Europe. Right now, UK residents are paying more for their music than customers in any other country in Europe.The reason for that is because Apple has to pay record labels more money to distribute music in the UK than in other countries, but Apple is hoping to force those labels to lower their rates.
In other news, British regulators are considering legalizing CD ripping. That's right, up until now, it's been considered illegal to buy a CD, stick it in your computer and create MP3s that you can put on an iPod or other portable media player in the UK. Of course, everyone does it anyway, which is probably why Britain is thinking about legalizing the act.
Do these two announcements have anything to do with one another? Probably not. But we can't help but ponder that the only way to legally load up your iPod in Europe right now is to buy digital music online from stores like iTunes. If there's a handful of people who are steadfastly avoiding ripping CDs for fear of spending the rest of their natural lives in jail, any change in that law could cause them to give up iTunes. And Apple could be trying to lower its prices in an effort to keep those paying customers.
Comments
6
Subscribe to commentsEthanJan 9th 2008 2:31PM
Did you possibly mean 'In other news,' since the last two paragraphs aren't a re-expression of the first two.
Anyway, this is reminiscent of that time when iTrips were illegal 'because the Hun might hear.' Our House of Commons is not really on the ball.
Brad LinderJan 9th 2008 2:32PM
Yup, that'd be what I meant. Thanks for the catch!
RaddiJan 9th 2008 2:50PM
While iTunes is still not available in numerous EU countries.
harmxJan 9th 2008 5:57PM
itunes aren't doing this out of the kindness of their heart,..they're being taken to task by Which? in the UK for disparity in the pricing within the EC.
harmxJan 9th 2008 5:59PM
iTunes should have read Apple, apologies.
RickardJan 10th 2008 6:35PM
"But we can't help but ponder that the only way to legally load up your iPod in Europe right now is to buy digital music online from stores like iTunes."
Don't confuse UK with Europe. To the best of my knowledge, ripping a CD for personal use is perfectly legal at least in Sweden.