EU lawmakers include Spotify and iTunes in geoblocking ban

PARTNERING UP: The deal for a 1.4% stake in Spotify comes just days after Apple, the world's most valuable company, launched a music streaming service at a price similar to Spotify's, muscling into a market already teeming with competition.

BRUSSELS: European Union lawmakers voted on April 25 to ban online retailers from treating consumers differently depending on where they live and expanded their proposed law to include music streaming services such as Spotify and Apple's iTunes.

Ending so-called geoblocking is a priority for the European Commission as it tries to create a single market for digital services across the 28-nation bloc, but many industries argue that they tailor their prices to specific domestic markets.