Apple recently replied to one criticism of its iTunes digital rights management policy, meeting a deadline set by consumer agencies in Scandinavia, an advisor at Norway's Consumer Council says. According to [url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/08/01/HNitunesdrmcomplaints_1.html]Infoworld[/url], the council is reviewing the letter. The contents of the letter could determine the future of the iTunes Music Store in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

"If they won't change anything, we'll most probably have to take them to the court in Sweden," said Bjorn Smith, a spokesman for the Swedish Consumer Agency, a state organization that represents consumer interests, told Infoworld. He hasn't yet seen the letter from Apple.

On Jan. 25, the Consumer Council lodged a complaint with the Consumer Ombudsman against iTunes Music Store Norge for a breach of "fundamental consumer rights." Among other things, the council’s decision says that the terms of agreement of the iTMS are unreasonable with respect to Section 9a of the Norwegian Marketing Control Act.

The Consumer Council also decided that it was unreasonable that the agreement the consumer must give consent to is regulated by English law. At the time the council said: "That iTunes disclaims all liability for possible damage the software may cause and that it may alter the rights to the music, are also considered unreasonable. iTunes must now alter their terms and conditions to comply with Norwegian law by June 21."

In its reply, In that segment, Apple said it was "striving to meet the desires by the Norwegians consumer agency as much as possible." It said that "iTunes has prepared and proposes revisions of contracts" Scandinavian customers enter to download music from the Internet. Apple also proposed a meeting with Scandinavian regulators to "discuss relevant aspects of the iTunes Music Store" and "probe possibilities for a mutual agreement," the letter said.

"This is not good enough," Bente Oeverli of the Norwegian consumer agency told the Associated Press, but added that "it seems we may reach an understanding on some points." He added that the two sides still disagree on the crucial point -- the ability to download music files to other players than iPod.