Apple executives hinted Wednesday that the company might legally contest the multitouch technology found within the Palm Pre.

Apple's fiscal first-quarter net income rose 1.9% on strong iPod sales, but the company predicted fiscal second-quarter results will be below Wall Street's expectations.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs said Wednesday he will take a leave of absence from the computer and music-player maker because of health issues. Apple shares fell 8% to $78.40 in after-hours trading. They were halted after closing down $2.38 to $85.33 in Wednesday regular-hours trading.

LG Display said it had signed a deal to supply LCD panels to Apple for five years. The world's second-biggest maker of LCD screens did not disclose the total size of the deal but said in a filing to the Korea Exchange that it would receive a US$500 million advance from Apple this month.

Apple has agreed to start selling digital songs from its iTunes store without copy protection software.

France's competition authority Wednesday temporarily barred an exclusive distribution deal between the country's dominant telecommunications group France Telecom and Apple over the blockbuster iPhone mobile phone.

Apple's shares fell almost 4% on Wednesday on concerns about the health of its chief executive and whether the company had any new products planned after it said Steve Jobs would not deliver the keynote speech at its upcoming technology show.