A decade-old series of lawsuits regarding iPod and iTunes Store lock-in is nearing trial, according to the New York Times. Having circulated in various Bay Area federal courts for years, the collection of lawsuits was amalgamated, accusing Apple of using Digital Rights Management (DRM) on iTunes Store purchases to lock customers into continuing to purchase iPods from Apple, rather than cheaper alternatives.
The report notes that previously-unreleased e-mails from Steve Jobs during that timeframe will likely factor into the evidence, revealing anticompetitive statements made by Jobs regarding ensuring that the iPod could not be used with competitors’ music stores. While Apple dropped DRM completely from iTunes music purchases in 2009, the class-action lawsuit dates back to when the alleged lock-in was occurring, and could result in damages being awarded to customers who purchased iPods during that time.
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