Tech Firms Push for Single EU Download License

Pressure groups representing the software and consumer electronics manufacturers told members of the European Commission that layers of red tape and mounting copyright levies are crippling Europe’s emerging digital media market.

The group recommended the Commission develop a single, EU-wide license and cap levies that are pushing up the price tag on digital media players, in some cases by an extra forty percent…

Rhere are 64 online music stores based in Europe, but only a few, including Apple Computer’s iTunes, the soon-to-launch Sony Connect, have managed to obtain the sufficient licenses to operate in more than one territory, and none cover more than three countries.

It would be interesting see how the new Loudeye-OD2 combo will deal with this licensing complexity issues…

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