EU Commissioner backs off threat against iPod/iTunes

The European Union’s consumer chief has backed off from her views of Apple’s closed music system, claiming her previous statement was only meant to raise questions. Meglena Kuneva, the European Union’s Consumer Protection Commissioner, told a news conference there was no reason to talk about legal action against Apple. “I would like, really, to start this debate. What is best to develop this market and to have more consumers enjoying this really very important, very modern way of downloading and enjoying the music?” she said of Apple’s iTunes. Kuneva was recently quoted in an interview harshly criticizing the iPod-iTunes link. “Do you think it’s fine that a CD plays in all CD players but that an iTunes song only plays in an iPod? I don’t. Something has to change,” she said.