Comments on: Yes, Virginia, any idiot CAN file a lawsuit!

Apple a monopoly because it doesn't use WMA. Sure.

[bfohwrd]

So now Sony BMG is going to start selling DRM-free music... through Amazon but not through the iTunes Store. Can we talk Stacie into suing Sony?

[natevw]

On the bright side, a loss for our friend Stacie may finally put this monopoly meme to rest.

[Ben Lawson]

Idiotic on the face of it. iPods and iTunes play many music formats, has Stacie heard of MP3? And, of course, AAC is a file format that anyone can sell unprotected songs in.

I wonder though if an iTunes rival is behind this, not hoping for a legal victory but wanting to provide a stream of FUD in the media to slowly take a bit of shine off the iTunes/iPod...

[ripragged]

Don't worry Stacie; we're not laughing with you. We're laughing at you.

Pretty soon Apple will be declared a monopoly because it doesn't allow Dell to build iPods or Mac Minis.

Yawn.

[ayrkain]

@Ben Lawson... Hmm.... An iTunes (wannabe) rival that often uses astro-turfed FUD.

I smell Microsoft.

[zato_3]

"I wonder though if an iTunes rival is behind this, not hoping for a legal victory but wanting to provide a stream of FUD in the media to slowly take a bit of shine off the iTunes/iPod.."

BINGO

Wake up. These class action lawsuits are FUD. Professional black PR. They get coverage all over the internet, and reprinted in newspapers everywhere. That's a lot of discrediting of Apple for very little money. This is not the first "monopoly" class action suit. Where are the others? Where are the scratched Nano class action suits. Where are the Nike/Apple "running-shoe tracking" suits? etc. etc. etc.

[macjeffr]

From Fortune's Apple blog:

The plaintiff is Stacie Somers, a San Diego-based attorney represented in this case by a gaggle of class-action specialists: Craig Briskin and Steven Skalet of Mehri & Skalet, Alreen Haeggquist of Haeggquist Law Group, and Helen Zeldes.

This is either a FUD attempt or just simple extortion. If they can get other gullible folks to join the class, they know that Apple will eventually settle, "without admitting any wrong-doing." As a person with ethics, and as an Apple stockholder, I'm disgusted.

[mutusliber]

@bfohwrd

"Can we talk Stacie into suing Sony?"

Maybe we can talk Sony into suing Stacie.

I'm sure the MPAA's not going to look too kindly on her storied career in TiVo piracy:

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/movies/2006/03/the_continued_b.html

[Effrafax]

How soon until we see a lawsuit against Microsoft for not allowing Microsoft Zune to play Microsoft PlaysForSure (Certified for Vista) DRM'ed music files?

[mrmarco1]

Stacie really ought to sue Amazon. By distributing DRM-free MP3 format music, Amazon is exhibiting a very monopolistic desire to control content on all music players.

[fmou]

Are you allowed to use the word ?jackass? in a post at cnes? I never thought you would go that low?

[ssanders6]

Why wouldn't they be able to use the word "jackass"? It is no different than calling someone a "pig" if they are a slob, a "***** cat" if they are gentle, a "sloth" if the are slow, or a "chicken" if they are scared.

Despite what the MTV generation may have done to your vocabulary, a Jackass is an animal and no more offensive to say than calling someone "stubborn as a mule".

[hung0702]

So, you guys who are dismissing this understand that the EU forced Microsoft to remove WMP from its European XP releases.

But why would anyone spend significant amounts of money for litigation on the Supreme/Internation Court level? It's bad for competition. Microsoft paid $613 mil in fines because the company initially refused to release the source code (which is private, mind you) for some aspects of its of Windows. Then, media companies argued that bundling WMP discourages users from utilising any other media program, so XP N had to be released.

If the Europeans can do it, why can't we?

[chustar]

This blog makes me want a bath. I CAN'T believe this is CNET. I mean, this...guy/girl works with Molly Wood!

[HelpMeSue]

Well if you guys really want to know if you have a case, just go to www.helpmesue.com and post it... and see if lawyers respond. Free and easy - better than endlessly debating whether you have a case :)

[HelpMeSue]

Post your case

[markld1955]

How could we ever get along without lawsuits and lawyers? What a waste of time!