Editing Vendor lock-in (section)

=== Apple Inc. ===<!-- This section is linked from [[iTunes Store]] -->
{{main|Criticism of Apple Inc.#Vendor lock-in practices}}
Prior to March 2009, digital music files with [[digital rights management]] (DRM) were available for purchase from the [[iTunes Store]], encoded in a proprietary derivative of the [[Advanced Audio Coding|AAC]] format that used Apple's [[FairPlay]] DRM system. These files are compatible only with Apple's [[iTunes]] media player software on [[Mac (computer)|Macs]] and [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], their [[iPod]] portable digital music players, [[iPhone]] [[smartphone]]s, [[iPad]] [[tablet computer]]s, and the [[Motorola]] [[Motorola ROKR#E1|ROKR E1]] and [[Motorola Slvr|SLVR]] mobile phones. As a result, that music was locked into this ecosystem and available for portable use only through the purchase of one of the above devices,<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.law.northwestern.edu/journals/njtip/v5/n2/5/#note10 |title=Is Apple Playing Fair? Navigating the iPod FairPlay DRM Controversy |author-first1=Nicola F. |author-last1=Sharpe |author-first2=Olufunmilayo B. |author-last2=Arewa |date=Spring 2007 |journal=Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property |publisher=[[Northwestern University]] |volume=5 |issue=2 |access-date=2009-06-17 |archive-date=2012-02-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207190225/http://www.law.northwestern.edu/journals/njtip/v5/n2/5/#note10 |url-status=dead }}</ref> or by burning to [[Compact disc|CD]] and optionally re-ripping to a DRM-free format such as [[MP3]] or [[WAV]].

In January 2005, an [[iPod]] purchaser named Thomas Slattery filed a suit against Apple for the "unlawful bundling" of their [[iTunes Store|iTunes Music Store]] and iPod device. He stated in his brief:
{{blockquote|text="Apple has turned an open and interactive standard into an artifice that prevents consumers from using the portable hard drive digital music player of their choice."}}
At the time, Apple was stated to have an 80% market share of digital music sales and a 90% share of sales of new music players, which he claimed allowed Apple to horizontally leverage its dominant positions in both markets to lock consumers into its complementary offerings.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4151009.stm |title=Itunes user sues Apple over iPod |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=2005-01-06 |access-date=2009-06-17 |archive-date=2009-07-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090709154325/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4151009.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> In September 2005, U.S. District Judge [[James Ware (judge)|James Ware]] approved ''Slattery v. Apple Computer Inc.'' to proceed with monopoly charges against Apple in violation of the [[Sherman Antitrust Act]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.findlaw.com/scripts/printer_friendly.pl?page=/andrews/bt/cmp/20050922/20050922slattery.html |title=Antitrust Suit Against Apple Over iPod, iTunes to Proceed |author-first=Donna |author-last=Higgins |publisher=FindLaw Legal News |date=2005-09-22 |access-date=2009-06-17 |archive-date=2009-07-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090723212454/http://news.findlaw.com/scripts/printer_friendly.pl?page=%2Fandrews%2Fbt%2Fcmp%2F20050922%2F20050922slattery.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

On June 7, 2006, the [[Norwegian Consumer Council]] stated that Apple's [[iTunes Store|iTunes Music Store]] violates Norwegian law. The contract conditions were vague and "clearly unbalanced to disfavor the customer".<ref>{{cite web |title=iTunes violates Norwegian law |work=Norwegian Consumer Ombudsman |url=http://www.forbrukerombudet.no/index.gan?id=11032467 |date=2006-06-07 |access-date=2006-06-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060625153735/http://www.forbrukerombudet.no/index.gan?id=11032467 |archive-date=2006-06-25 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The retroactive changes to the DRM conditions and the incompatibility with other music players are the major points of concern. In an earlier letter to Apple, consumer ombudsman [[Bjørn Erik Thon]] complained that iTunes' DRM mechanism was a lock-in to Apple's music players, and argued that this was a conflict with consumer rights that he doubted would be defendable by Norwegian copyright law.<ref name="ombudsman">{{cite web |author-last1=Thon |author-first1=Bjørn Erik |title=iTunes' terms of service vs Norwegian marketing law §9a |url=http://www.forbrukerombudet.no/asset/2406/1/2406_1.pdf |date=2006-05-30 |access-date=2015-05-02 |quote=English transcribed: ''The Consumer Council reacts to the observation that iTunes' DRM entails that the files can only be played on a few players, mainly Apple's own players. They furthermore believe that the terms of service's point 9b, where the customer among other things must agree not to circumvent or change such technical hindrances, is in conflict with the copyright law §53a(3). […] Copyright holders are by the copyright law entitled to decide if the work is to be made available, and in principle also how it is made available. […] Copyright can in my opinion not give the copyright holder right to demand all kinds of conditions when sold to consumers in generality.'' Norwegian original: ''Forbrukerrådet reagerer på at iTunes Music Stores DRM medfører at filene kun kan spilles på et fåtall spillere, hovedsakelig Apples egne spillere. De mener videre at tjenestevilkårenes punkt 9b, hvor kunden blant annet må samtykke til ikke å omgå eller endre slike tekniske sperrer, er i strid med åndsverksloven §53a(3). […] Rettighetshaverens enerett etter åndsverksloven gir anledning til å bestemme om verket skal gjøres tilgjengelig, og rettighetshaveren kan også i utgangspunktet bestemme måten dette skal skje på. […] Opphavsretten kan etter min mening ikke gi rettighetshaveren rett til å stille enhver form for betingelser ved salg til forbrukere i alminnelighet.'' |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304185517/http://www.forbrukerombudet.no/asset/2406/1/2406_1.pdf |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

{{As of|2007|05|29}}, tracks on the [[EMI]] label became available in a DRM-free format called [[iTunes Store|iTunes Plus]]. These files are unprotected and are encoded in the AAC format at 256{{spaces}}[[data-rate units#Kilobit per second|kilobits per second]], twice the bitrate of standard tracks bought through the service. iTunes accounts can be set to display either standard or iTunes Plus formats for tracks where both formats exist.<ref name="itunesplus">{{cite web |url=https://www.apple.com/pr/library/2007/05/30itunesplus.html |title=Apple Launches iTunes Plus |work=[[Apple Inc.]] |access-date=2007-05-30 |date=2007-05-30 |archive-date=2011-06-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608084938/http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2007/05/30itunesplus.html |url-status=live }}</ref> These files can be used with any player that supports the AAC file format and are not locked to Apple hardware. They can be converted to MP format if desired.{{clarify|date=June 2022}}

As of January 6, 2009, all four big music studios ([[Warner Bros.]], [[Sony BMG]], [[Universal Music Group|Universal]], and [[EMI]]) have signed up to remove the DRM from their tracks, at no extra cost. However, Apple charges consumers to have previously purchased DRM music restrictions removed.<ref name="iTunesChanges2009">{{cite web |url=https://www.apple.com/pr/library/2009/01/06Changes-Coming-to-the-iTunes-Store.html |title=Changes Coming to the iTunes Store |work=[[Apple Inc.]] |access-date=2011-08-30 |date=2009-01-06 |archive-date=2011-09-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904043716/http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2009/01/06Changes-Coming-to-the-iTunes-Store.html |url-status=live }}</ref>