Report: Apple lockdown forced U2 to embrace RIM

Apple's habit of pushing partners to the sidelines reportedly cost the company its relationship with alternative rock band U2, which recently signed a sponsorship with rival smartphone market Research in Motion.

According to a report in Canada's GlobeAndMail, a Toronto-based radio DJ said U2 frontman Bono told him at a recent concert that Apple's restrictive policies led to a falling out between the band and the Cupertino, Calif.-based company.

"I'm very excited about this," Bono reportedly said. "Research In Motion is going to give us what Apple wouldn't -- access to their labs and their people so we can do something really spectacular." And when asked if the new arrangement had something to do with a new application U2 wanted to create to allow fans to interact with the band as part of its "U2 360" tour, Bono reportedly said, "You're not far off."

The "U2 360" tour was announced last month to be sponsored by RIM's BlackBerry line of smartphones, the strongest and most direct rival to Apple's iPhone.

It was nearly five years ago in which Apple and U2 first introduced the new black and red, laser-etched iPod known as the U2 Special Edition. Since then, the band's music has been featured prominently in Apple commercials and on other iPod models, including the (Product) Red series. [via]