Apple deleted rivals' songs from users' iPods

APPLE deleted music that some iPod owners had downloaded from competing music services from 2007 to 2009 without telling users, attorneys for consumers told jurors in a class-action antitrust suit against Apple on Wednesday.

'You guys decided to give them the worst possible experience and blow up' a user's music library, attorney Patrick Coughlin said in US District Court in Oakland, California.

When a user who had downloaded music from a rival service tried to sync an iPod to the user's iTunes library, Apple would display an error message and instruct the user to restore the factory settings, Mr Coughlin said. When the user restored the settings, the music from rival services would disappear, he said.

Apple directed the system 'not to tell users the problem', Mr Coughlin said.

To plaintiffs in the case, the move showed how Apple had stifled competition for music players and downloads. They are seeking $350m in damages in the decade-old suit, claiming Apple's actions forced them to pay more for iPods. The damages could be tripled under antitrust laws.

Apple contends the moves were legitimate security measures. Apple security director Augustin Farrugia testified that Apple did not offer a more detailed explanation because, 'We don't need to give users too much information,' and 'We don't want to confuse users.'

Mr Farrugia told the court that hackers with names such as 'DVD Jon' and 'Requiem' made Apple 'very paranoid' about protecting iTunes. Updates that deleted non-Apple music files were intended to protect consumers from those system break-ins.

'The system was totally hacked,' he said.

Apple declined to comment outside of the court testimony.

Steve Jobs, the late Apple co-founder, also showed concern about hacking, according to evidence in the case. 'Someone is breaking into our house,' Jobs said of music pirates, according to an e-mail by Apple software chief Eddy Cue listed as an exhibit.

Mr Cue and Phil Schiller, Apple's head of marketing, are expected to testify this week, and portions of a videotaped 2011 deposition by Jobs are expected to be played.

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