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Apple Inc. never lets anyone forget who it's not-Microsoft. Apple ads feature a hipster named Mac humiliating a pale, pudgy loser named PC; its slogan urges consumers to "think different." But the tech darling now shares at least one thing with its stodgier rival—trouble in Europe.
Apple's cool quotient is part of the problem: when the company introduced its iTunes download service in Europe in mid-2004, customers snapped up 800,000 songs in the first week. Apple now owns 70 percent of the local entertainment-download market, and ivory iPod earbuds are as ubiquitous in Soho as they are in, well, Soho.
That's the problem, say a growing number of European consumer advocates. They're taking aim at the digital-rights-management (DRM) software in iTunes, included at the behest of record labels to stop piracy. The way Apple (and for that matter, Microsoft) implements DRM prevents songs bought on iTunes from being played on non-Apple gadgets like cell phones. It also blocks songs downloaded from other sites, like Yahoo or Napster, from being transferred to iPods. "It is an abuse of the power that Apple has in the market," says Ewald van Kouwen, a spokesman for the Netherlands' Consumer Association. "iTunes is a great store, but iPod and iTunes should not be combined."
That's the same argument European regulators used against Microsoft back in 2004, when they forced the software giant to unbundle its Media Player from Windows. As early as last summer, Norway's consumer-protection agency flied a complaint claiming that iTunes violated Norwegian law by tying consumers' hands. By the year-end, regulators in Finland, France, Sweden, Denmark and Germany had also opened investigations into whether the software was unfair. On Jan 27, the Dutch upped the ante by setting a September deadline for Apple to dump DRM, a month earlier than a similar deadline laid down by Norway." The way Apple uses DRM is illegal," says Norway's consumer ombudsman Bjoern Erik Thon. Still, Apple won't face any real consequences unless the Norwegians go a step further and take the matter to court, in which case the company could be fined for noncompliance.
Indeed, there are few legal parallels between the Microsoft and Apple cases. But both reflect Europe's deep anxiety about its lack of clout in the digital world. Aside from Skype (now owned by eBay ), it's tough to think of a truly disruptive digital company that's emerged from Europe.
Apple's European sales were up 33 percent last year, to $4.1 billion. The region accounts for a quarter of the company's total revenue. The most likely outcome is that the labels will admit DRM isn't solving their piracy problems, as Jobs suggests; and together they and Apple will stumble toward some sort of open system. That would be music to Apple's ears.
小試牛刀
1. What does the word "stodgier" mean in paragraph 1?
A. competitive
B. mediocre
C. prominent
D. intensive
2. Among the measures taken by Apple to ensure its market share, which of the following isn't mentioned in the text?
A. By its high quality of the product.
B. It popularized the digital-rights-management(DRM)software.
C. Songs bought on iTunes are not permitted to play on non-apple products.
D. It resists songs from certain sites being played on iPod.
3. What can we infer from paragraph 4?
A. iTunes confined the consumers' choice.
B. Apple using the DRM violates the law of all countries.
C. Apple will face severe arbitration in Norwegian.
D. Apple is going to refuse any penalization.
4. What's the good news to Apple users?
A. The DRM deals with the piracy problem effectively.
B. Apple will try some open soft systems for its consumers.
C. The sales volume of Apple roared up last year.
D. Apple occupies more market in Europe.
5. Which of the following is true?
A. There is nothing in common between Microsoft and Apple cases.
B. Only Microsoft feels upset about lacking market in the digital world.
C. The prospect of Apple is somewhat gloomy.
D. Powerful digital companies that have emerged from Europe are very few.
核心詞彙
abuse [ə'bjuːz]
n. 濫用，虐待，辱罵，陋習，弊端
implement ['ɪmplɪm(ə)nt]
n. 工具，器具
advocate [ˈædvəkeɪt]
n. 提倡者，鼓吹者
noncompliance [,nɒnkəm'plaɪəns]
n. 不服從，不順從
ante ['æntɪ]
n. ＜美＞（打撲克牌發牌前下的）賭注
vi. 下賭注
ombudsman['ɒmbʊdzmən]
n. 調查官員舞弊情況的政府官員
association [ə,soʃɪ'eʃən]]
n. 協會，聯合，結交，聯想
piracy ['paɪrəsɪ]
n. 海盜行為，侵犯版權，非法翻印，盜版
behest [bɪ'hest]
n. ［詩］命令，吩咐，要求
clout [klaʊt]
n. 敲打，輕叩；破布；影響力
pudgy ['pʌdʒɪ]
adj. 矮胖的
quotient [ˈkwəʊʃnt]
n. 商，份額
consequence [ˈkɒnsɪkwəns]
n. 結果，推理，推論，因果關係，重要的地位
regulator ['regjʊleɪtə]
n. 調整者，校準者，調整器，標準儀
snap [snæp]
vt. 猛地吸住，突然折斷，使劈啪地響，猛咬
disruptive [dɪs'rʌptɪv]
adj. 使破裂的，分裂性的
stodgy ['stɒdʒɪ]
adj. 油膩的，不易消化的，乏味的，平凡的，笨重的
dump [dʌmp]
vt. 傾倒（垃圾），傾卸
emerge [ɪ'mɜːdʒ]
vi. 顯現，暴露，形成，（由某種狀態）脫出，（事實）顯現出來
stumble ['stʌmb(ə)l]
vi. 絆倒，使困惑，蹣跚，躊躇
gadget ['gædʒɪt]
n. 小器具，小配件，小玩意，詭計
tough [tʌf]
adj. 強硬的，艱苦的，堅強的，堅韌的，強壯的，區惡的，粗暴的
hipster[hɪpstə]
n. 世面靈通的人
unbundle [ʌn'bʌnd(ə)l]
vt. 對（不同產品、使勞務）作分類交易
humiliate [hjʊ'mɪlɪeɪt]
vt. 羞辱，使丟臉，恥辱
長難句解析
1. That's the same argument European regulators used against Microsoft back in 2004,when they forced the software giant to unbundle its Media Player from Windows.
結構分析： 本句是一個複合句。主句是That's the same argument；Europear regulators used...in 2004，是一個省略關係代詞的限定性定語從句，來修飾 argument；後面是when引導的一個非限定性定語從句，來修飾2004。
參考譯文： 歐洲的監管人員用相同的論點來反對微軟在2004年捲土重來，與此同時他們強迫這個軟體巨頭將 Media Player播放器從 Windows中分離。
2. Still, Apple wont face any real consequences unless the Norwegians go a step further and take the matter to court, in which case the company could be fined for noncompliance.
結構分析： 本句是一個複合句。主句是Still， Apple won't face any real consequences； unless後面引導一個條件狀語從句；in which case... could be fined for noncompliance是一個 in which case引導的非限定性定語從句， in which case在這裡相當於when；這個從句同時也是一個被動句，由 could be fined可以看出。
參考譯文： 但是，蘋果公司將不會面臨任何現實的仲裁，除非挪威人對此事採取進一步的措施並向法院提起訴訟。如果那樣的話，蘋果果公司可能會因拒絕改變政策而被處以罰款。
3. The most likely outcome is that the labels Will admit DRM isn't solving their piracy problems, as Jobs suggests.
結構分析： 本句是一個複合句。主句是 The most likely outcome is；that引導一個表語從句，來做is的表語； DRM isn't solving their piracy problems是一個省略連接詞的賓語從句，做 admit的賓語； as Jobs suggests是一個as引導的非限定性定語從句,來指代前面整個句子。
參考譯文： 正如賈伯斯提到的那樣，最可能的結果是：這些唱片公司將會承認蘋果公司通過數字版權管理系統釆取的措施並不能解決盜版問題。
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