Eurocrat has a bash at Apple's itunes

THE EUROPEAN UNION is having a bash at Apple over its bundling of iTunes with iPods, says Reuters, citing German magazine Focus.

Apple's had a bit of flak before over the issue, having had consumer rights organisations from Finland, France, Germany and Norway criticising the company's stance on its popular music software. The groups reckon that Apple is using its technology to limit the consumer's free use of songs bought on iTunes, which will only play on iTunes or on the user's iPod.

EU Consumer Protection Commisioner Kuneva was quoted as saying, in an interview on the matter, "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."

While it has been confirmed that Kuneva said this, an EU Commission spokeswoman Helen Kearns stated that it does not represent the views of the Commission itself, and is a personal opinion of Kuneva: "I don't think she was stating it as a definitive policy position. At this stage it is her gut instinct."

Apple, so far, has not replied officially to Kuneva's comment.

Norway has been complaining about the very same thing, as you can read right here on The INQ. Supposedly, if something is not done about the issue by October this year, the Nordic country will call in the lawyers.