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Digital
Might EU’s new digital agenda force iPhone open?
By CMU Editorial | Published on Wednesday 7 July 2010
Some tech experts reckon a new Digital Agenda proposal document published by the European Commission in May could result in rules that force companies like Apple to open up their technologies to rivals, so that tech firms could develop software that would work with the iPhone operating system without having to have Apple’s approval, and so that rival smart phones and MP3 players could sync with iTunes.
Any new rules might also force Apple to enable Flash to work on the iPhone. The tech giant’s decision to shun Flash on their mobile device has been controversial, and further strained relationships between Apple and Flash makers Adobe, though many accept Apple chose not to support Flash on the iPhone for sound technical reasons.
Interest in the potential implications of the Digital Agenda document for Apple has risen this week because of an article in Tech Daily, whose reporter Jason Mick says: “Under the new measures the EU may gain the power to force Apple to allow Flash onboard. It may also be able to finally force Apple to allow third-party devices – like Android smartphones, the Palm Pre, or rival MP3 players – to sync with iTunes”.
Although the Agenda document is not deliberately written to target Apple specifically, the iPod maker has long had its critics in the European Union because of some of its closed shop practices.
Back in the days when digital rights management was applied to all legitimate major label downloads, meaning only iTunes could sell iPod-compliant major label music (the iPod only playing non-protected MP3s or Apple’s proprietary AAC format), there was talk of forcing Apple to open up its digital music technology so others could sell DRMed iPod-compliant music. But the majors finally dropping DRM from its downloads ended the need for any such legislative measures, because iTunes competitors could start selling MP3s.
