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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Apple to cut UK download prices | Apple to cut UK download prices |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Apple has announced that it will cut the price it charges for music downloads in the UK from its iTunes music store within the next six months. | Apple has announced that it will cut the price it charges for music downloads in the UK from its iTunes music store within the next six months. |
| The cut will bring the UK into line with the charges in the rest of Europe. | The cut will bring the UK into line with the charges in the rest of Europe. |
| Apple currently charges 79 pence per download in the UK, compared with 99 euro cents (74p) in the rest of Europe. | Apple currently charges 79 pence per download in the UK, compared with 99 euro cents (74p) in the rest of Europe. |
| EU regulators began investigating iTunes last year after the consumer group Which? complained about its pricing policies. | EU regulators began investigating iTunes last year after the consumer group Which? complained about its pricing policies. |
| Apple is now taking action against record labels that charge more to distribute music in the UK than in the rest of Europe. | Apple is now taking action against record labels that charge more to distribute music in the UK than in the rest of Europe. |
| "Apple will reconsider its continuing relationship in the UK with any record label that does not lower its wholesale prices in the UK to the pan-European level within six months," the company said in a statement. | "Apple will reconsider its continuing relationship in the UK with any record label that does not lower its wholesale prices in the UK to the pan-European level within six months," the company said in a statement. |
| Competition rules | |
| EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes welcomed the move. | |
| She said it would "allow consumers to benefit from a truly single market for music downloads". | |
| The EU was investigating whether the iTunes store violated its competition rules because each country had its own store and consumers were only allowed to download music if they have a credit card from a bank registered in that country. | |
| Apple said it could not have a single European iTunes store because of copyright restrictions put in place by the record labels. | |
| Which? originally lodged its complaint with the EU in 2004. |