Whiners making trouble for Apple, yet again

Miguel Helft has a short article in The New York Times about Apple:

Apple’s new subscription service for iPad and iPhone applications, which has drawn complaints from some publishers, has also drawn the attention of federal antitrust regulators, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. The person, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity because the government inquiries were confidential, said that the regulators’ interest was preliminary, and might not develop into a formal investigation.
Apple has introduced a subscription mechanism for apps that required companies to offer customers the possibility of buying content like magazines or music through its payment system, with Apple taking a thirty percent cut. The rules also bar companies from offering a better deal to customers if they pay for a subscription elsewhere, say on a company’s own website. Apps that do not comply may not be used on Apple devices.
The announcement drew complaints from some publishers, who said giving Apple a thirty percent cut would not be economically feasible.
The Justice Department has been looking into Apple’s tactics in the music business for nearly a year, and the Federal Trade Commission has been looking at some of the restrictions that Apple puts on developers who create applications for the iPhone and iPad.

Rico says that anonymous leakers and spokespeople at Justice and Apple declining to comment doesn't make for very intersting reporting...