Apple could face legal action by the Norwegian government in March if the U.S. company refuses to unlock its iTunes online music store from its iPod media player.The government ombudsman has given iTunes until March 1 to say if it will agree to change its restrictive DRM (digital rights management) policy. If the online music store doesn't show an inclination to change its DRM policy by then, the dispute could go directly to the Marketing Council, the first step in the Norwegian legal process, he said.

In two rulings, the most recent delivered earlier this month, the ombudsman said the iTunes DRM model violates Norwegian law, according to Waterhouse. Last year the government body wrote to Apple requesting changes, but the results failed to sway Norwegian officials, he said. The ombudsman has set a second deadline, Oct. 1, for Apple to show how it plans to implement changes to its DRM.