Judge tells Virgin to leave Apple alone and come up with their own DRM

So VirginMega just lost their suit in a French court to get the rights to use Apple's FairPlay DRM technology. They claimed that given the iPod's dominance of the digital audio market, Apple's refusal to let other people sell DRM'd downloads for the iPod constituted an anti-trust violation (which straight up seemed really silly), and that they should have access to Apple's FairPlay code.The judge didn't buy the argument and told Virgin they'd have to figure out things on their own (sort of like how RealNetworks did).

[The Make-Out @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

Good call on the judge's part. Otherwise we'd have VirginPods, and eventually, VirginSocks.

[Fonze @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

If microsoft wasn't allowing people to install protected software on windows, you can bet they would get sued out the ass for it.
Why does apple get special treatment?

[Al @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

Sites that sell unprotected MP3's and AAC's can and do sell to iPod owners.

iPod is not a computer OS that is used by 90% of the world's computers, that's why it is treated differently.

[Rich @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

iPod is a device used by nearly 90% of music jukebox owners. Virgin are also a record label and want to sell DRMed music to this 90% market. Seems fair enough to me that this shouldn't have to be via ITMS. Like a previous poster said, if it was M$ that tried this on, they'd get a thorough (and deserved) flaming.

Apple do make some lovely looking stuff; but they do get too much slack from people in my view.