Apple Computer is stepping up its push to get iPod accessory makers to pay for the right to connect to the popular music player.
For some months, the company has been seeking royalties from accessory makers that want to display a “Made for iPod” logo on their products. The program, which one analyst has likened to an “iPod tax,” applies to devices that connect electrically to the player and not to cosmetic things like cases.
Now Apple has made the program a requirement for manufacturers who want their gadgets to plug into the “dock connector” at the bottom of the music player, Senior Vice President Phil Schiller confirmed to CNET News.com last week.
Many accessories manufacturers make a lot of money out of Apple’s success in iPod and obviously Apple want to have some share of their profit.
