Vote on iPod-threatening French draft law slated for Tuesday
Apple Computer could on Tuesday be forced to open up its digital music business to competitors after a vote in the French parliament, notes The Financial Times.
The law would also allow rivals to serve up tunes to iPod users through their own online music download services.
Digital Rights Management (DRM) software embedded in tracks downloaded from Apple's iTunes Music Store prevents them from being played on digital music players other than an iPod, but the French bill seeks to impose "interoperability" on online music stores and break Appleâs closed system.
"It is unacceptable that... the key should be controlled by a monopoly. France is against monopolies," Martin Rogard, an adviser at the French Culture Ministry, told The Financial Times. "The consumer must be able to listen to the music they have bought on no matter what platform."
Rogard said it was "desirable" that France led in this respect, but hoped that it was the start of a Europe-wide move to open up digital music.
However, opponents of the draft law say forcing Apple to admit competitors to a market it was instrumental in creating is sending the wrong signal to technology companies.
CompTIA, a trade association, reportedly said the law was the latest in a series of measures in the European Union that were "punishing inventors and stifling innovation."
Apple is reportedly waiting for the law to be passed before making any comment.
73 Comments
I can't help think that if Apple were a French company then the authorities would be in favour of a closed system monopoly.
This has all been proposed in the name of the consumer but in fact it's a steaming pile of xenophobic horse dung. I just hope the rest of the EU don't follow suit.
This is ridiculous! People aren't forced to sue iTunes! If they want interoperability, they can use something else.
While I am against the specific wording of this law, if in fact it would force Apple to provide interoperability, I AM in favour of not outlawing breaking DRM.
People should be able to legally break DRM to support their fair use rights.
This is ridiculous! People aren't forced to sue iTunes! If they want interoperability, they can use something else.
..which is invariably less useful hence the success of iPod/iTMS.
The whole point of Apple's end-to-end approach is that it benefits the consumer by providing a cohesive, design-driven system that actually works. By taking a can-opener to it you get a compromised system that hypothetically works but actually falls short & the consumer (instead of the designer - if there even was one) is left feeling inept.
Close iTMS France, just in case!
McD
There seems to be a shift in the concept of what a product is. Instead of the content, you buy the carrier.
I understand that markets are changing, but so far I think there hasn't been enough public debate about a contemporary definition of fair use, copyrights, and consumers' rights when buying digital content, like iTMS songs.
France bringing this issue to court seems to be a good way to do that.
I don't know about the US, but in Europe we have a tradition of anti-kartel laws. Although it may sound anti-business, the intention of law-suits like this is pro-business.
"We" think is is not acceptable for a company to be the only player in a market. If necessary, such companies will be forced to allow competition, because a market without competition is not considered a healthy market.
For the same reason it is also illegal for competing companies to make deals about minimum prices for their similar products, because that would allow them to keep prices unreasonably high. Again not considered healthy.
Also, competitors of privatised companies (formerly owned by the government) are usually given certain benefits, in order to create fair competition.
So, to answer your question Gates of Hell, this type of action is also taken against autochtone companies.
Bringing this case to court is not a personal act, it is about asking a judge, as a representative of "the law" to make a decision and maybe set a precedent.