The Danish government through the Consumer Complaint Board is applying pressure to Apple to have the California-based company cough up some compensation for owners of the iBook G4 who experienced trouble because of design flaws in the laptop.

Frederik Navne, lawyer for the CCB, describes the model's flaw as "it is a bit like a person dying a little bit every time he breathes because the cells break down." Thousands of customer testimonies claim that their iBook abruptly powered down after an average of a year's use, then never booted back up.

The CCB points to the problem as that of a defective logic chip's breakdown. According to independent electronics examiner Delta, the chip has flawed solders that deteriorate with activity. Once the solders wear out, power is unable to pass and what's left of the computer is a blank screen of death with a noisy fan.

Denmark now demands that the company admit that the product is defective in and out of the country and apply measures to correct it in the soonest possible time.

If the European Commission had its way, MP3 player owners in Europe would be facing a  tax revision that will jack up the iPod's price by a wallet-burning 25 euros ( USD).

The law, already under fire from companies like  Nokia and Philips Electronics, was introduced back in the 1960s on tapes to compensate musicians for privately copied music. It's undergoing revisions this year, and would include blank CD's and MP3 players (phones included, since they can store tunes, too) in its revised itinerary.

Dirk Visser, attorney for the electronic industry, had this to say regarding the revision. "This will lead to double or triple taxation. Soon, a consumer will pay rights to the artists when he buys on iTunes, then again when he buys a blank disc, and undoubtedly it will be extended to mobile phones which can also store music."

The law is expected to collect 1.57 billion Euros (roughly billion USD) in its corresponding states this year, and a further 4.67 euros (roughly $ 6 billion) next year. Some countries like Britain are yet to implement these taxes. The European Commission is expected to publish their views by the end of the year, though countries like Denmark are already going through the motions of implementing the tax law.

Most Silicon Valley executives seem to have forgotten some lessons they have learned way back in business school or while they're taking their MBAs - that important moral lesson happens to be put the customers first, above profits, above income, above anything. This is what CNet Executive Editor, Charles Cooper, believes. His opinions focused on the incompatibility of the iTunes Music Store to non-Apple mp3 players.

He mentions that the decision to make the iTunes incompatible to others was a good business decision that most likely contributed to why Apple's iPod is the best selling mp3 player around, and why Creative is being portrayed as a green-eyed monster jealous with the attention and profits that the rival's product is getting. The iPod + iTunes combo entailed big money and profits, but did they put out their customers first? Well, certain European countries don't think so.

We have mentioned the problem that Apple had with France and Denmark with regards to why the iTunes is incompatible with non-Apple mp3 players. Apple has until the end of July to explain to regulators in Norway, Denmark and Sweden why songs sold on iTunes could not be played on rival devices. Harsh words have been exchanged, lawsuits have been filed...but the pervading question is still, "how are the consumers?"

From my understanding of what Mr. Cooper wrote, he believes that Apple will be pressed to bring down the walls it has erected i.e. the incompatibility of iTunes with other mp3 players, to guarantee that the momentum behind its great invention continues into the next decade. I couldn't agree more with him.

Apple has been known for its good customer care activities, I believe that customer care should not be the means to continue propagating a product, thus it should be the reason why a product exist in the first place. The profits is of course part of the equation, but the problem is that businessmen have been focusing on things they can't control instead of things that are within their reach. Customer service is something they can control, and, for the sake of damage control, make the iTunes compatible with others.

Apple may be going to court again, this time against three Scandinavian countries. Apparently, iTunes' terms and conditions that make it exclusive for iPod music players is illegal in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, says Swedish Consumer Agency spokeswoman Marianne Aabyhammar.

The three Scandinavian countries are trying to break the exclusive link between iPod and iTunes and has brought the matter to their respective government mediators. Aabyhammar says, "If iTunes fails to improve its terms and conditions in Sweden, we may take the case to Sweden's market court."