The Attorneys General of New York and Connecticut want to know if the contracts signed by Apple for its new music service violate antitrust rules, the Wall Street Journal reported. The joint investigation into whether the music industry was acting in collusion to restrain competition among stream music services was disclosed in a letter to the New York Attorney General’s office from Universal Music Group, The New York Attorney General posted the letter on its website.
The letter did not specify Apple as the target of the investigation. However, Universal said it was not colluding with Apple; nor was it working with its two major rivals Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group to impede competition in the streaming music market.
The NY Attorney General said the letter was part of an ongoing investigation of the music streaming business, an industry in which competition has recently led to new and different ways for consumers to listen to music. To preserve these benefits, it’s important to ensure that the market continues to develop free from collusion and other anti-competitive practices, the Attorney General said.
