LOS ANGELES -- An iPod owner is suing Apple Inc., claiming it restricts consumer choice and has monopolized the digital music market because its popular line of music players and its iTunes online music store are not compatible with rival music devices.

The lawsuit, filed Dec. 31 in U.S. District Court in Northern California, seeks class-action status and is the latest of several that claim Cupertino-based Apple has an unfair grip on the online music market.

Lead plaintiff Stacie Somers of San Diego, identified only as the owner of a 30 gigabyte iPod, wants the court to order Apple to stop its allegedly anticompetitive practices and pay unspecified damages.

Calls to her lawyers were not immediately returned Monday.

Apple spokeswoman Susan Lundgren said the company does not comment on pending litigation.

Shares of Apple slipped $2.41, or 1.3%, to close at $177.64 on Monday. How do you join a class action suit if you're in another city? It's about time someone stuck it to mac!

http://www.redherring.com/Home/21600

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/03/12/eu_kuneva_interoperability/

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Rotten-European-Apple-49202.shtml

As I always say, there is morons all over the world !!!!

And things like this can only happen in USA !!

Well spoken kent909! It's retarded, Apple is doing very well so there is YET ANOTHER Nancy trying to make some money out of it without having to work. People like that should be sued for being little *******.

+1

If you don't like it - dont buy it at the first place.

This must have to be written somewhere in therms and conds. With the act of buying you declare your agreenment.

(no, I'm not going to ever use an iPod or Tunes)

Gee, what an absolute lowlife leech you would have to be to join this class action suit.

When new technologies and new systems develop there are frequently more than one version or platform. Some survive and others don't. That's the free market. Remember 'betmax'? Same thing is happening with digital tvs now.

Apple puts in the time, investment and effort to come up with a great product and great services to support it.

But because you're not a fan of Apple, or you bought a different product that you knew was not compatible, you want to take them to court and make them pay you!

Leech.

Oh you mean like apple and the macnuts did against microsoft? lol

I don't know why I have both ipod shuffle and ipod nano while i have only two ears.. :-p

Love my iPOD Nano!! 8GB of escapism.