Court rules iTunes FairPlay DRM did not monopolize digital music sales

A California appls court provided some good news for a change, ruling ’sFairPlay DRMsoftware did not monopolize digital music sales. The decision has affirmed a lower court’s dismissal.In a Wednesday ruling, a three-judge San Fran court found that although controlled 99 percent of the digital music and digital music player market after imposing FairPlay, the company did not prevent rivals from competing.The lawsuit had claimed ’s DRM prevented songs purchased at iTunes from playing on anything other than its iPod…AsGigaOMnotes, the court also found“ maintained its 99 cent price point even after Amazon entered with market with DRM-free music, and after itself dropped the FairPlay encryption system in 2009.”To be perfectly clr, ’s FairPlay DRM still protects and paid iBooks, however.Today’s ruling is in contrast to that in New York, where Federal judge Denise Cote rlier ruled had conspiredwith five eBook publishers to raise prices on titles at the iBookstore.Although publishers have settled with the Department of Justice, is still negotiatingterms of a settlement.