UH-OH

Apple Probed for Antitrust Violations

In negotiations with labels over Apple Music.

The attorneys general of New York and Connecticut are investigating Apple and several music labels to determine if the computer giant violated antitrust laws in negotiations for its new streaming service Apple Music, The New York Times reported Tuesday. New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen are looking into whether Apple pressured labels or conspired with music entities to stop supporting “freemium” services like Spotify in favor of its newfangled paid-music subscription. Universal Music confirmed it was part of the investigation, but said it had no agreements with Apple or companies like Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group. The European Commission is also looking into Apple’s talks with music labels.