Oslo - Norway's consumer ombudsman on Monday announced plans to petition that country's Market Council to compel Apple (NASD: AAPL) to open its iTunes Store to competing digital music players aside from its own iPod, the Associated Press reported.

Bjoern Erik Thon told AP that Norway was chosen to mount a test case against Apple over this issue after consultation with his consumer advocate counterparts in Denmark, Finland, France and Germany.

"It's a consumer's right to transfer and play digital content bought and downloaded from the Internet to the music device he himself chooses to use. iTunes makes this impossible or at least difficult, and hence, they act in breach of Norwegian law," Thon told AP.

Apple now has until Nov. 3 to respond to Thon's challenge at the Market Council, which is empowered to order companies to make such changes to their business practices, and fine them for noncompliance.

The company had no comment for AP on the story.

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/3y1vf (AP)

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