Just how stupid are consumers? The authorities in several European countries appear to believe that they are incapable of taking care of themselves, and wish to defend them against exploitation from Apple Computer and its closed system of digital music. Their efforts at intervention are unlikely to help consumers in the short term and may damage technological progress in the long term.

Apple's iTunes online music store sells music that can only be played on the company's ubiquitous music player, the iPod. Since both iTunes and the iPod have a market share of about 80 per cent in the US and the UK, as well as a substantial market share in many European countries, this looks potentially abusive - hence the interest from the French parliament as well as consumer councils in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, who want to force iTunes and the iPod to be compatible with other systems.