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EC Files Formal Objection to iTunes Sales Model April 03, 2007 
Following up on a consumer watchdog group's complaint filed two years ago, the European Commission is objecting to the way Apple's iTunes store sells music in Europe. The EC is the executive body of the European Union, and has extensive powers relating to business practices that violate EU treaties and policies.
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iTunes Draws Ire of EU Commissioner March 13, 2007 
Apple has been feeling increased regulatory and rhetorical heat in Europe, where its iTunes-iPod near-monopoly in digital music is under heightened scrutiny. A member of the regulatory body overseeing antitrust and consumer protection for the EU lashed out at Apple, saying its policy of tying together the iPod music player and the iTunes Music Store is "improper."
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Apple Laptop Fire Reported in Japan August 29, 2006 
The battery recall Apple instituted for Sony-made notebook batteries last week may have become more urgent Tuesday after Japanese authorities said they had a confirmed case of an Apple laptop catching fire. Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry ordered Apple to investigate the problems further and report back to it within a week.
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French Lawmakers Give Anti-iTunes Bill Green Light July 03, 2006 
French lawmakers have passed legislation that could force Apple Computer to make its iPod music player and iTunes Music Store compatible with competitive offerings. "Any artist's work that is legally acquired should be playable on any digital device," Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres told lawmakers before the vote Friday.
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Apple Promises to Investigate 'Slave Labor' Accusations June 16, 2006 
The bad news about the allegations against an Apple supplier's operations in China -- assuming they're true -- is that after decades of action on the part of labor, environmental and religious activists, such conditions still exist in some markets.
The good news is that Apple is more likely than most corporations to take such charges seriously.
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Apple Bites Back in Response to French Anti-iTunes Bill March 22, 2006 
In the wake of a decision by the French National Assembly that would force Apple to give iTunes playlist access to rival MP3 players, the iPod maker has finally broken its silence about the draft law. France's upper house, the Senate, approved the copyright bill Tuesday, just as legal analysts had predicted, with a vote of 296 to 193.
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Apple Awaits France's iTunes Decision March 20, 2006 
Microsoft is not the only technology giant to face European woes lately. French lawmakers are scheduled to vote Tuesday on a new copyright law that could result in a slew of music download services competing for iPod users' dollars in the European nation.
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Apple China Shuffles Management Amid Slow iPod Sales August 24, 2005 
According to reports from Chinese media outlets, Apple has launched a significant personnel reshuffle among the management of its China operations. The general manager of Apple's business in China resigned from his position on Monday; meanwhile, the company dismissed a raft of executives and managers throughout the country.
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Kazaa Can Track Users, Trial Witness Says December 07, 2004 
As an Australian court considers whether Kazaa's parent
company should be forced to pay damages for the file sharing that goes on
over its peer-to-peer (P2P) network, questions persist about the effectiveness of the
music industry's enforcement efforts.
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Apple Reportedly Making Retail Move on Taiwan August 16, 2004 
Apple is rumored to be planning to launch a new retail store in downtown Taipei, Taiwan, its first retail outlet foray beyond the U.S. and Japan. The reports also say Apple will enter a partnership to sell silver iPod Minis in 7-11 convenience stores throughout Taiwan. This would bring Apple's international retail store count to three.
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EC Regulators Approve Sony-BMG Merger July 20, 2004 
European regulators have approved the merger between Sony Music and Bertelsmann Music Group, leaving only U.S. approval before the two companies can come together to create the world's second-largest music business. Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed and the merger excludes some activities.
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Euro iTunes Downloads Top 800K in First Week June 23, 2004 
Apple, moving quickly to repeat its U.S.-based leadership in legal online music distribution, announced Wednesday that it has sold 800,000 songs through the European wing of its iTunes Music Store during its first week of business. "In the UK alone, iTunes sold more than 450,000 songs in the last week, 16 times as many as OD2, its closest competitor." Apple CEO Steve Jobs crowed in a press release.
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Apple's iTunes Music Store Makes European Debut June 15, 2004 
Apple launched new European flavors of its iTunes Music Store in the UK, France and Germany Tuesday. According to Apple, these European versions of the iTunes Music Store offer a 700,000-song catalog that will include song exclusives from such major artists as Norah Jones, The Beastie Boys and UK faves The Darkness. Prices for individual tracks will run at about US$1.20 in France and Germany and $1.44 in the UK.
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ASA Slams Apple on Mac Ad Claims June 11, 2004 
Just in time for Wednesday's announcement of its Power Mac G5 refresh, Apple took one on the chin for having claimed it was selling the "world's fastest personal computer." The UK-based Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) announced on Thursday its ruling against the G5's purported speediness. However, the organization did rule in Apple's favor on the latter two claims.
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ITunes Music Store to Make Euro Debut June 07, 2004 
Apple indicated Monday that it will launch a European version of its iTunes Music Store (iTMS) later this month, joining competitors Napster UK and On Demand Distribution, better known as OD2, in the race to capture the digital music marketplace there. The company will host a press conference in London on June 15th to address the situation.
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ITunes Europe: Apple's Next Digital Music Play? June 03, 2004 
Rumors that Apple will launch a European version of its iTunes Music Store (iTMS) this summer spread in earnest this week, this just two weeks after Napster rolled out its competing service in the UK. While Apple declined to confirm any European iTMS moves, the region is clearly important to the company. In its fiscal second quarter 2004, Europe accounted for $449 million of Apple's net sales, a 33 percent increase over the same period in 2003.
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