Sony, MS to Join Forces Against iPod

Sony and Microsoft may join forces in an attempt to break Apple's dominance in digital music, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. Bill Gates said that leveling the playing field carries "a lot of incentive to work together" in digital-music "infrastructure." Apple currently holds 87 percent of the market, according to research firm NPD.

While nothing specific was mentioned on a deal between Sony and MS, Gates said iTunes' resistance to allow its music to play on anything other than iPods meant that consumers needed more of a choice. Apple was sued earlier in the week by a California man who said he was "forced" to buy an iPod in order to play his purchased music on a portable player.