It’s been an interesting road since Apple launched iTunes Plus, originally only offering DRM-free music for EMI and independent labels. Now everyone is on board — or will be by the end of April — and Apple has righted the wrong of requiring every track to be updated all at once. So what else is going on?

Seems like Apple accidentally charged some upgraders $9.99 to take their albums to iTunes Plus, but Macworld says Apple is making it right:

Your request is flagged for follow-up and I will contact you once I can fully refund your order. Please note that processing can take up to five business days from the date of purchase. I also issued 5 courtesy song credits for any inconvenience this issue may have caused you.

The move to iTunes Plus has also helped get Norway to put its anti-competitive hammer away, according to Ars:

The DRM-free tracks (iTunes Plus) are now compatible with any music player that can play AAC files and are therefore free of the restrictive iPod tie-in that has annoyed so many customers. “We have no reason to pursue them anymore,” Norway’s consumer mediator Bjoern Erik Thon told AFP.

Norway should have, of course, being going after the record labels instead of Apple, but we’ll let bygones be bygones now, won’t we?

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iTunes Update: Apple’s Refunding Mistakes, Norway’s Dropping its Case

Looks like Apple might be shutting down iTunes in the US and Norway. At least that’s what VP of Internet Services (iTunes, Mobile Me, App Store), Eddy Cue says (via Macrumors):

“If the [iTunes music store] was forced to absorb any increase in the … royalty rate, the result would be to significantly increase the likelihood of the store operating at a financial loss – which is no alternative at all. Apple has repeatedly made it clear that it is in this business to make money, and most likely would not continue to operate [the iTunes music store] if it were no longer possible to do so profitably.”

What’s the deal’yo? In two separate, but equally perplexing bits of news, the US Government is thinking of dumping an extra $0.15 surcharge (going to copyright holders) onto digital downloads, which would result in either consumers paying $1.14 a track for iTunes music, or Apple eating the $0.15 itself.

Since Apple already gives the record labels $0.70 per download, and out of the remaining $0.30, pays all the bandwidth, storage, infrastructure, credit card and other transactional feeds, administration, etc., cutting that margin in half is not realistic for a for-profit company (can you say shareholder lawsuit?)

Hey, here’s an idea, why not take that from the record label’s cut? They’ve made a business out of negating artists rights (remember, they went to court to get ringtones declared derivative works, so they don’t have to pay artists — but still charge consumers ridiculous, pure profit, premiums for them!), so it seems only fair restitution should come from their end (provided the artist still holds the copyright…)

Meanwhile, Norway wants Apple to open Fairplay DRM. While Apple has publicly stated they themselves want to rid music of DRM, the record labels won’t give them DRM-free music (preferring to use it to bolster competitors like Amazon and Naptser), so how about Norway go have a word with the Big 4? I’m sure everyone else would love to be rid of that short-sighted bit of un-usability. Then go swing the mystic hammer at Hollywood and get us DRM free TV and movies while they’re at it. As we all know, DRM doesn’t stop real pirates, it just makes it harder for real users to manage.

What do you think? Is Apple rightly on the hook? Or is it time pressure was placed where it really belongs, on the Big Media companies?

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Apple Threatening “Scorched Earth” iTunes in the US and Norway?

Two of the Scandinavian nations have just released their iPhone 3G plans. First up is TeliaSonera, with iMini plans starting with 18 month contracts at 299 SEK for 100 min./SMS/MB, with 8GB handsets for 2495 SEK and 16GB for 3295 SEK. iMidi is 250/250/250, and topping out with iMaxi at 859 SEK for 1000/1000/1000 and handsets for 1395 SEK or 2195 SEK.

There’s an iMidi plan as well, and 2-year contracts gets a handset discount. Still, that a US$145 a month obligation for 1GB of data… Ouch.

But it’s not as bad as Netcom in Norway! iTalk Small is 399 NOR for 100/100/100, with 1390 NOR or 2290 NOR for the handset, and iTalk Large is 1099 NOR for 1000/1000/1000 with 1 NOR or 890 NOR for the handset. That’s $221 a month for 1GB!

And I thought Canadians were getting hosed. What happened to mythical Midgard data pipes, where costs are negligible and speeds are the stuff of legend? Is the evil Loki… er… Nokia behind it? iPhone 3G Thor, taste them thine hammer!

Read

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iPhone 3G in Scandinavia: Swed Data Rates? Norway!

In keeping with other recent, ridiculously short and detail-free iPhone statements:

TeliaSonera today announced it has signed an agreement with Apple to bring the iPhone to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia later this year.

By Odin-One-Eye, the iPhone is coiling its way across the globe like the World Serpent in search of its tasty Thor-snack. Does this mean Ragnarok for Nokia on its home turf, or just that mythological metaphors strain awfully fast in blog intros?

Gotcha.

Table shattering score card now link list:

Launched: Austria (T-Mobile), France (Orange), Germany (T-Mobile), Ireland (O2), UK (O2), USA (AT&T)

Announced: Africa (Orange), Argentina (America Movil), Australia (Vodafone / SingTel), Austria (Orange), Belgium (Orange), Brazil (America Movil), Canada (Rogers), Chile (America Movil), Columbia (America Movil), the Czech Republic (Vodafone), Denmark (TeliaSonera), Dominican Republic (America Movil/ Orange), Ecuador (America Movil), Egypt (Vodafone / Orange), El Salvador (America Movil), Estonia (TeliaSonera), Finland (TeliaSonera), Greece (Vodafone), Guatamala (America Movil), Honduras (America Movil), India (Vodafone / SingTel), Italy (Vodafone / Telecom Italia), Jamaica (America Movil), Jordan (Orange), Latvia (TeliaSonera), Lithuania (TeliaSonera), Mexico (America Movil), New Zealand (Vodafone), Nicaragua (America Movil), Norway (TeliaSonera), Paraguay (America Movil), Peru (America Movil), Philippines (SingTel), Poland (Orange), Portugal (Vodafone / Orange), Puerto Rico (America Movil), Romania (Orange), Singapore (SingTel), Slovakia (Orange), South Africa (Vodafone), Switzerland (Swisscom / Orange), Turkey (Vodafone), Uruguay (America Movil)

Rumored: Netherlands (?),

Note: Extent of America Movil and Orange Africa deployment not yet fully detailed.

Lately I’ve been ending these by asking “Who’s next?” but, honestly at this point, “who’s left?”

Anyone want dibs on Antarctica?

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iPhone Risk: TeliaSonera Scandi-Mania and Baltic Bash!