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France To Force iTunes to Open to Other Players?
JordanL writes "It appears that France is pushing through a law that some feel may force Apple to open iTunes to other players. From the article: 'Under a draft law expected to be voted in parliament on Thursday, consumers would be able to legally use software that converts digital content into any format. It would no longer be illegal to crack digital rights management -- the codes that protect music, films and other content -- if it is to enable to the conversion from one format to another.'"
I mean, poor little Apple has not got its share by illegal means unlike some but by making better products, so its entitled to it.
Who would want to run an iTune on anything other than an iPod anyway, it would be like putting a lawnmower engine in a Ferrari.
We don't want choice of what machines to play music on, we just want one good machine.
The unique selling point is the integrated experience, its the whole system, the iPod, the iMac, the iTunes, its not any one of them, its the whole thing.
They are no more expensive than comparably equipped competitive products, its just that they sell for more because they give you more.
Anyway, you can play them on other machines if you really really want to, though why you would is beyond me.
Well, now someone got all that out of the way, maybe we could have a discussion...? Because the implications are quite serious, not just for music. For the whole lockin approach. Once one country adopts this, first, it will be impossible to contain within its borders. Second, it will be impossible to contain it to music. It could get real interesting.
Governments still like to look like they run the world when really the world has been run by multinational corporations for decades. Governments just feel they have to be seen to flex their muscles every now and again with trading regulations or small wars to try to prove they still matter (the wars usually help their military industries anyway).
Successful businesses just adapt their strategies accordingly (strategically placed donations to political parties is one example!).
The French have a poor track record in wars (small or otherwise), this only gives the French Government trade laws as an option when trying to boost their popularity. Anything not French is fair game be it Apple or Microsoft as the French government plays on national pride. The French are "pro freedom" because it is not a technology that French companies control just as the US Govt take the opposite approach because the companies involved are predominently American.
"I'm french so i know what i'm talking about."
OK. A little offtopic here. I was at a benefit the other night and was seated at a table with a very nice French woman, er girl. The coversation covered a number of topics and somehow we got to Vietnam. She informed me that the US should thank the French for bailing them [the US] out of Vietnam. My jaw kind of hit the table on that one. Maybe the French should thank the US, Australia, South Korea, and any number of other countries for their support.
--Mike