Apple and two major music groups will begin their hearing today concerning a European Union claim that iTunes' pricing across different European territories hurts British consumers. iTunes, which insists it has no choice in the matter due to label and publishers' licensing demands, does not let Brits shop at the iTunes stores of other countries. Other consumers in the Eurozone pay €0.99 while Brits pay 79 pence (about $1.59). Consumers in Denmark pay the equivalent of €1.07 ($1.50) per track. Americans, as most of us know, pay $0.99 (€0.71, or 49 pence) per track.

Labels say they have no influence on how Apple sets pricing at iTunes. Lawyers for Sony BMG and Universal Music Group will be on hand. EMI, Warner Music Group and prominent indies will sit this one out.

The European Union began its probe into iTunes pricing in early 2005.

Article at Times Online.