Apple Pulls Neo-Nazi Band’s Albums from German iTunes Store
4:57 pm, December 10th, 2008, Lonnie Lazar
UPDATE: This post has been edited for clarity as to search results on the US iTunes store.
Informed of racist content in the music of German neo-nazi band Lancer, Apple moved to pull the content from Germany’s iTunes store within two hours, according to a report at MacBlogz.
Landser had been banned by a German federal court in 2005 for brazenly racist songs with titles such as “Polacken Tango” (Polack Tango) and “Zigeunerpack” (Gypsy Vermin), but an Apple spokesperson was mystified as to how the bands tracks made it on to iTunes, saying, “I don’t know how it made it into the store. We do not tolerate this kind of content.”
Computerbild, a German technology publication apparently made the discovery, while a spokesperson for Jugendschutz, a German youth protection agency, was quoted saying, “the right-wing extremist scene has long identified with and used music to exercise their influence on young people.”
The iTunes Terms of Service for the US store clearly states that “you agree to use the Service at your sole risk and that Apple shall have no liability to you for content that may be found to be offensive, indecent, or objectionable.” A quick search on the US iTunes store for music produced by Detroit-based Resistance Records (alleged to be closely associated with the US Skinhead movement) turned up tracks from outfits such as hard core punk label Fat Wreck Chords and compilations from Rot Records and Riot City Records, though nothing by affirmed neo-nazi bands such as Landser, No Remorse, Bound for Glory or Skullhead.
Posted by Lonnie Lazar in Apple, Music, News, iTunes | Comment on this article
NOFX is a punk band on the label Fat Wreck Chords. They are definitely not racist nor is their label.
Monty, on December 10th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
they need to pull Nickelback from the store. that sh!te is much more offensive.
the truth, on December 10th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
For the record (pardon the pun) Fat is far, far from hardcore.
a, on December 10th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
I guess it is okay to censor, as long as it fits your beliefs…
Vince Platinum, on December 10th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
[...] USA scheint die Geschichte jedoch ebenfalls noch weiteres Aufregerpotential zu bieten: Cultofmac führt an, im US-Store beispielsweise keine Musik vom Whitepride-Label Resistande Records zu finden, jedoch [...]
Nazis im iTunes-Store: Landser-Löschung zieht Kreise » MACNOTES.DE, on December 11th, 2008 at 2:47 am
this may have been revised but it is still REALLY misleading. mentioning those punk labels still makes it seem like they have some association with Resistance Records, when all the search does is bring up song titles with “resistance” or “records” in them.
just say “a search for Resistance Records on iTunes finds that Resistance Records is not on the US iTunes store” and leave out any connection to those other labels
stinky, on December 11th, 2008 at 6:34 am
[...] Source: Cult of Mac blog [...]
Nazis & iTunes « Jeffry’s Personal Blog, on December 11th, 2008 at 7:21 am
Yeah the Fat Wreck Chords reference is VERY offside. Fat Wreck Chords is a VERY liberal/left wing label. It headed up the punkvoter & rock against bush tours/albums a few years back.
To tie them in with skinheads just because the names are similar enough to come up during a web search is outright irresponsible of you.
Unless your willing to do the research into which bands/labels may actually be releasing neo-nazi music than it’s really best to list none at all.
Imagine if Fox news were to tie your blog into a story about suicide cults just because you have cult in your name?
Jay, on December 11th, 2008 at 11:16 am
@the truth
Second that. >_<
Church of Apple, on December 11th, 2008 at 12:56 pm