Apple Computer is facing new challenges to its iPod devices from
content providers, who, while seeking ways to profit from
digital technology, remain worried that it will wreck their
businesses. On Wednesday, Reuters quoted Doug Morris, head of
Vivendi's Universal Music Group (UMG), as saying that he wants
the same deal from Apple that he has negotiated with Microsoft
for its Zune player -- a royalty payment for each device sold.
Morris said that all such digital devices "are just repositories
for stolen music, and they all know it. So it's time to get paid
for it." Two weeks ago UMG sued social networking site MySpace,
charging that it allowed users to pirate its music videos.
Meanwhile, the London Financial Times reported that the major
film studios are demanding that, before they will sign a deal to
provide movies to Apple's iTunes Music Store, Apple must develop
software that will prevent the movies from being downloaded to
multiple iPods from a single PC.