News
Apple sued over lack of WMA support
A new antitrust lawsuit filed against Apple on Dec. 31 claims the company has an illegal monopoly on the digital music market. The plaintiff, Stacie Somers, and her representation claim that Apple is dominating the market for online video and music sales, as well as the digital music player market, and that its position is a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. “Apple has engaged in tying and monopolizing behavior, placing unneeded and unjustifiable technological restrictions on its most popular products in an effort to restrict consumer choice, and to restrain what little remains of its competition in the digital music markets,” the complaint states. More specifically, the complaint takes issue with Apple’s refusal to support Microsoft’s proprietary Windows Media Audio format. “Apple’s iPod is alone among mass-market Digital Music Players in not supporting the WMA format,” the complaint says, while listing several competing music services that support protected WMA files. This specific complaint is based on the idea that the music labels “are generally unwilling to license their music for online sale except in protected formats,” a statement that seems to lack credibility in light of recent moves into DRM-free sales by industry heavyweights EMI, Warner Music Group, and Universal Music Group.
Share This Article & Win an iTunes Gift Card. Comments
If you have a comment, news tip, advertising inquiry, or coverage request, a question about iPods or accessories, or if you sell or market iPod products or services, read iLounge's Comments + Questions policies before posting, and fully identify yourself if you do. We will delete comments containing advertising, astroturfing, trolling, personal attacks, offensive language, or other objectionable content, then ban and/or publicly identify violators.
Recent News
- Enter the CES Exhibits Plus Pass Giveaway today
- Wider distribution boosting iPhone sales in France
- Chinon rolls out AVi portable iPod speaker
- TomTom intros separate Car Kit for iPod touch
- iLounge and MusicSkins announce the Ultimate Design Contest
- Latest edition of iPodweek coming shortly
- Apple planning more iPod touch apps for retail?
- Gameloft, others cutting back on Android development
- Google launches Google News for iPhone, iPod touch
- Magellan releases RoadMate app, Car Kit coming
Recent Reviews
- Electronic Arts Command & Conquer Red Alert
- Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Mini
- iHome iHM79 Rechargeable Mini Speakers
- Elexa Consumer Products iBlink
- Bose SoundDock 10
- Shure SE115m+ Sound Isolating Headset
- Apple Remote (2009)
- Kensington Travel Battery Pack and Charger for iPhone
- Tapulous Metallica Revenge
- Electronic Arts NBA Live by EA Sports
Recent Articles
- The Complete Guide to Using the iTunes Store
- iPhone Gems: Brain Challenge 2, Impossible Quiz, Jeopardy, Trivia Wars + Wheel of Fortune
- The Complete Guide to Album Tagging, Art and Playlists in iTunes
- Ask iLounge 11-13-09
- The Complete Guide to iTunes Audiobooks, Podcasts + iTunes U
- Ask iLounge 11-6-09
- iPhone Gems: Asphalt 5 and Doom Classic
- Ask iLounge 10-30-09
- Instant Expert: Secrets & Features of Apple TV 3.0
- Ask iLounge 10-23-09
1
Wait, what?
The complaint is full of facts that totally refute the claim.
Posted by dualsub on January 4, 2008 at 8:28 AM (PDT)
2
Im suing the makers of Monopoly because I cannot play Pop-o-Matic Trouble on it.
They have an illegal monopoly on monopoly.
Another useless person with another useless lawsuit.
Posted by unreal on January 4, 2008 at 8:39 AM (PDT)
3
I’m going to sue Sony for not letting me play Wii games on the PS3.
I’m going to sue makers of DVD players for not letting me play VHS tapes.
Finally, I’m going to sue the car industry for not letting me fuel my car with beer and jelly beans.
Posted by nosedive51 on January 4, 2008 at 8:44 AM (PDT)
4
Even though ipods have the chip to be able to play wma files doesn’t mean that
1. they have the default ability to decode the protected format - I would think that is a software thing.
and
2. they are legally bound to license the format from Microsoft and use their own resources to support it.
If it were *just* the ability to play unprotected wma files, then that would be at least some kind of argument but even then, iTunes offers the ability to convert from unprotected wma files and that’s really not what she wants anyway - she wants the ability to play protected music from other services. Makes very little sense as a lawsuit.
Posted by Jeremy on January 4, 2008 at 8:49 AM (PDT)
5
This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.
They would have a better chance of suing for lack of OGG Vorbis support, since that’s at least an open-standards format.
Since WMA is technically a proprietary Microsoft format, it’s ridiculous to suggest that Apple “owes” anybody support for it.
Somebody should have sued Sony years ago for not supporting MP3—that at least would have made some sense (not that I agree with that position, of course).
Posted by Jesse David Hollington in Toronto on January 4, 2008 at 9:21 AM (PDT)
6
Have you ever know anyone that actually used WMA? Yeah, neither have I.
Posted by Galley in Greenville, SC on January 4, 2008 at 9:26 AM (PDT)
7
i wonder if it is too late for me to sue Panasonic for lack of beta max support on their vhs players??
Posted by hydra-calm on January 4, 2008 at 10:23 AM (PDT)
8
Weird. We have Microsoft sued for bundling Media Player with it’s OS and then we have someone who wants to sue their way to a decent pension because Apple won’t support a Microsoft format. Hopefully this dopey cow’s case will be on the tv…she can record it, send me the DVD and then I’ll sue her because the NTSC disc won’t work on my PAL DVD player.
Posted by Rob S on January 4, 2008 at 11:41 AM (PDT)
9
I don’t think that this is a really valid argument. If Apple were only to support the AAC file format, then yes, I’d say she has a case.
But since the .wma format needs to be licensed from Microsoft, nobody can force Apple to do business with them. Furthermore, her case would look better if Microsoft was at least trying to open the .wma format open to Mac users, but instead they discontinue Windows Media Player for Mac.
Posted by Andrew on January 4, 2008 at 1:25 PM (PDT)
10
I’m going to sue my lawyer for not thinking about this lawsuit first!
Posted by Bill on January 4, 2008 at 1:50 PM (PDT)
11
Stupid ### lawsuit. It’s format based like blu-ray and HD DVD. There’s no way she can win.
Posted by AZ on January 5, 2008 at 8:37 AM (PDT)
12
I think I’m going to sue her because while listening to my iPod, this lawsuit caused me undue hardship and has significantly affected my ability to listen to my music in AAC format which we all know that we are all actually able to listen to on all devices sold in the world.
Posted by daelin in The Ugliest City in the US (I'm the exception ;) ) on January 5, 2008 at 11:39 AM (PDT)
13
Can we sue Microsoft for not allowing us to install Mac OS X on a PC. You can install Windows on a Mac.
Posted by Simon on January 5, 2008 at 1:39 PM (PDT)
14
This is Sue Sue wrong!
Posted by sue mee on January 5, 2008 at 6:56 PM (PDT)
15
I would like to sue the goverment for not giving people like this a public beating.
Thanks you
Posted by GaryZero on January 8, 2008 at 7:05 AM (PDT)
16
I was using a windows based computer and used iTunes with WMA files because it was more organized to use Win. Media Player, then backed up my files to an external. Recently purchased a Macbook, NOW i have to purchase a program to convert all my WMA files to ACC. thats bogus…I love apple, but this law suit was very called for.
Posted by SeanyMacHimself on March 2, 2008 at 8:17 PM (PDT)