Apple yesterday asked a federal judge to dismiss the consumer antitrust case against the company, which claims that Apple’s decision to tie the iPod and similar devices to iTunes limits consumer choice.
Robert Mittelstaedt, an Apple attorney, told the court that Apple’s decision that locking its devices out of other music management software was a matter of quality assurance, intended to improve the quality of the experience for Apple’s customers.
The case stems from Apple’s move in 2004 to block songs purchased through other services after RealNetworks — the company behind what was a very popular music app at the time, RealPlayer — announced that users would be able to synchronize songs downloaded through their music store to their iPods.
Judge James Ware intends to rule on the request for dismissal by next month.
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