Apple deleted rivals' songs from iPods, court told
Jurors will hear taped testimony from Steve Jobs amid claims that Apple deleted non-iTunes tracks
Apple has been accused in court of trying to unfairly prevent rival digital music services from operating by blocking and deleting non-iTunes songs from iPods between 2006 and 2009.
The District Court in Oakland, California heard that Apple created systems that would display an error message and prompt users to restore their iPod to its factory settings if the device detected music that had been purchased from a rival online store. Once an iPod was restored, the non-iTunes music would disappear.
Jurors in a class-action antitrust suit against Apple were told on Wednesday that the California-based tech company had deliberately tried to stifle competition for music players and downloads.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
According to the attorney Patrick Coughlin, Apple "decided to give [users] the worst possible experience and blow up" their music library.
Apple did not deny the claims, but said that it had attempted to introduce legitimate security provisions to its devices to protect users from accidentally syncing malicious files to their computers and devices.
Augustin Farrugia, Apple's security director, testified that the company offered only a vague explanation rather than going into too much detail because "we don't need to give users too much information", and "we don't want to confuse users", PC World reports.
Jurors will also hear testimony from Apple founder Steve Jobs, recorded in 2011 just six months before his death.
CNN journalist David Goldman, who has seen the deposition, says that throughout the interview, Jobs is "defensive, evasive and opaque". Asked about events that happened seven years earlier, Jobs said "I don't remember", "I don't know" or "I don't recall" 74 times, Goldman reports.
Apple released the first iPod in 2001 and for many years attempted to control the music that could be played on them. Music sold through iTunes was encrypted using a system called Digital Right Management (DRM) that wasn't compatible with non-iPod MP3 players.
The current suit has taken years to prepare. Apple changed its DRM policies five years ago, so the class-action only covers iPod purchases from September 2006 to March 2009. If the case is proven, Apple could have to pay out as much as $1bn in damages.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Make legal immigration a more plausible option'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
LA-to-Las Vegas high-speed rail line breaks ground
Speed Read The railway will be ready as soon as 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel's military intelligence chief resigns
Speed Read Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva is the first leader to quit for failing to prevent the Hamas attack in October
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Justice Department bites Apple with iPhone suit
Speed Read The lawsuit alleges that the tech company monopolized the smartphone industry
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Apple kills its secret electric car project
Speed Read Many of the people from Project Titan are being reassigned to work on generative AI
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The pros and cons of virtual reality
Pros and cons The digital world is expanding, for better and for worse
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
The Apple Vision Pro's dystopian debut
Why everyone's talking about Is "spatial computing" the next big thing?
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Why Apple's carbon-neutral claims may be misleading
Speed Read The company isn't disclosing all the information, a new report alleges
By Devika Rao Published
-
The advent of the AI iPhone: does new tech show promise or peril?
Talking Point Apple design guru Jony Ive and OpenAI founder Sam Altman believed to be in talks to create new device
By The Week Staff Published
-
China steals the spotlight at Apple's iPhone 15 launch
How will a directive from the Chinese government affect the tech giant?
By The Week Staff Published
-
Why is a tiny change to the iPhone's charger such a big deal?
Today's Big Question A change to comply with EU regulations could have global ramifications
By Justin Klawans Published