Belgium to probe iPad newspaper subscriptions

Economy Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne asked the country's competition watchdog to review whether Apple abused its dominant position after several Belgian and Dutch editors were notified about the US company's policy.

A recent document from Apple "indicates that from now on, iPad subscriptions will only be sold via iTunes," the minister's office said in a statement.

Apple takes 30 percent of the revenue from sales of newspaper and magazine subscriptions through iTunes, the ministry said.

"Belgium is the first country to undertake a probe," a ministry spokesman said.

"But we don't think it will be the last."

A ministry statement said Apple's strategy "is not without consequences for publishers."

Barring newspapers and magazines from selling their subscriptions for iPad users through their own channels would appear to be "an abuse of a dominant position," it said.