Yesterday, Norway declared that Apple’s practice of having content purchased on iTunes only work on iPods contravenes its consumer protection laws and is illegal. The consumer ombudsman has given Apple until October 1, 2007 to open up its iTunes Store so that content can be downloaded onto rival devices. Apple has already indicated that it would fight this latest move, saying that it hoped that European governments will encourage a competitive environment that lets innovation thrive, protects intellectual property and allows consumers to decide which products are successful..
France has already been after Apple to open up its Fairplay DRM system to others and, with Germany, has joined the latest campaign. Sweden and Finland have also expressed support for the move.
Should Apple not comply, it could face fines and a shutdown of its iTunes store.