Apple has been hit with yet another class action suit. This time, a Florida resident by the name of Frederick Black is accusing the company of illegally linking iPods to the iTunes Store in order to control the digital media market. According to Black, music bought from other stores cannot be played on the iPod and music bought at the iTunes Store cannot be transferred to players that aren't iPods.
True, you can't transfer DRMed tracks using iTunes to a non-iPod player but you can sure buy DRM-free tracks at iTunes Plus that can be played on any device. Also, Black appears to have forgotten about online music stores like Amazon or eMusic that sell DRM-free songs which can be added to iTunes and played on the iPod as well.
Black also alleges in the nineteen-page suit, that by controlling such a large part of the portable digital media player market, the online music market and the online video market, Apple has garnered sufficient power to control consumer pricing in these markets, which has resulted in consumers paying inflated prices. He is seeking more than $15,000 in damages, plus a court's award of treble damages, attorney fees and any further relief the court may deem proper.