The European Commission has completed a review of consumer protection laws within the union and a part of its findings concludes that music sold online should be refundable, just like traditional products you buy in the shop.

The EC quite likes Norway and Sweden’s "Cooling off" period, which mandates that even digitally distributed content must be refundable. Originally when the Scandinavian countries had proposed this Apple had just threatened to throw its toys out of the pram and stop serving them. A market of 492 million people might be a little bit more difficult to take a hissy fit at.

Consumer protection laws throughout the EU are not harmonised, which is what the EC wants to happen ; with similar "cooling off" periods and rules on digital products. The problem this creates for Apple, as well as other digital distribution products, is how to technically refund an individual product with current DRM restrictions which don’t account for one disowning a product.

The EC will probably just tell these companies to get on with it, and the commission has not balked in the past from coming down the hill waving bloody great pitchforks at businesses which do not meet its demands. Just ask Microsoft.

The good news for international markets (or Johnny Foreigner, as we like to call you) is that either the iTunes of this world will be opened up internationally if the EC demands it for the European market ; or an election season will swing around and your representatives will copy the commissions homework and demand the same.

This still leaves the issue of DRM restrictions in the open. The EC hasn’t addressed them directly (yet) ; but the Scandinavian countries want iTunes and other services to open themselves up. Steve Jobs could get a "helping hand" in ridding the world of the evils of DRM if the commission turns its gaze that way.