Apple considering iTunes shutdown as royalty hike protest

Apple is considering shutting down its massive digital store, iTunes, as a protest to a proposed royalty hike the company pays for each song purchased from the service.

The shutdown could occur as early as today, when the Copyright Royalty Board in Washington, D.C., will rule on a request from the National Music Publishers’ Association to increase their rate by 6 cents. Apple says the rate would force them to modify their own long-standing $0.99 per track price structure.

It’ll be the board’s first ruling on digital royalties.