Slashdot Mirror
French Parliament Fights iPod and iTunes
f00lforb00l writes "According to an article in New York Times, the French parliament is considering legislation which would require that the iPod also be able to use music from services other than the iTunes Store." From the article: "The outcome of the debate, which began as an update to French copyright law, is far from clear. But taken to one logical conclusion, amendments to the copyright bill could lead Apple, the market leader, to leave the French music business, said Jonathan Arber, a research analyst in London at the technology consultancy Ovum. 'My gut feeling is that Apple will simply pull out of France if these amendments get through,' Mr. Arber said. 'Weighed against breaking their business model for all markets, it doesn't make sense for Apple to continue operating with the iPod and iTunes in France.'" Update: 03/17 15:46 GMT by Z : A previous story covering this topic may also be of interest to you. Sorry, folks.
... to access other formats, but not forced to. Anyway, this is one interpretation of a law still to be discussed by the senators, and even right now, the text isn't that clear.
the ipod can use all kinds of music from all kinds of places other than the itunes music store. it just can't play other store's DRM. talk to the other stores and have them release their music as non-DRM mp3 or AAC and the ipod will play it just fine.
MORTAR COMBAT!
For those who didn't RTFA, this doesn't just affect the iPod and iTunes. This applies to all devices capable of playing content available from online sources, including Sony's Walkman mp3 players.
This is typical government sticking it's nose somewhere it doesn't belong. If Apple wants to lock their iTMS content to iPods, let them do it. If a consumer wants to crack Fairplay, using tools that would appear to be legal in France, once this legislation passes, let them do it. Or, at least, mp3 player companies should have to create, and provide, tools to convert files to a compatible format. Again, this only applies to France, such tools would be illegal in other countries.
note: I'm from france, and I am following the issue
well, let's put it this way.
The DMCA (and it's EU corrolary called EUCD - European Union Copyright Directive) both stem from the same WIPO treaty.
The Directive offers ample possibilities so as to state anything in state law. It's each government choice as to what will be in the local law.
The french government has been lobbied by Vivendi Universal (and friends) and decided to select the worst possible things in the law-to-be
Here's what the head of the culture department said
1) peer 2 peer software have to have a device that will detect if the shared file(s) are currently protected under copyright law
2) said software will then report the people doing the deeds to the cops
the law also states
3) the peer 2 peer software may be proprietary or free
4) if the peer 2 peer software is designed purposely for illegal transfers, the editor may get 3 years in jail and fined 300000 eur
5) it is illegal to remove the technical protection measures that would do 1 and 2
(plus more of the same)
http://allofmp3.com/
"[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
Or simply do what a large proportion of iPod users (including myself) do, and simply encode their own mp3s from CD.
Apple wants to maintain their total control over the iPod and what it can play. It's as simple as that.
100% wrong. The iPod supports MP3, AAC, WAV, and AIFF, in -addition- to Fairplay. Any company would not have to pay a single penny to apple to become "compatible" with the iPod if they offered their music in any single one of those formats.
MORTAR COMBAT!
4) You'll have to open the ipod anyway....a few people (I did) are buying alternative mp3 player because thay want to play open formats, have more interoperability...People won't like the fact that the music they bought can't be played on other places than their ipod (they just don't realize it yet). Despite looks, a product that can't do half what the concurence does, can't be that cool...
Sorry, but you lost me on this part. A few people you know are buying alternative mp3 players because they want to play open formats? Which formats do they consider "open"? While protected AAC is definitely not "open", the AAC format itself is based on an open standard. WMA? Microsoft proprietary standard.
Also, the iPod has compatibility with the most popular open format out there, MP3. It has support for WAV files as well.
Interoperability? So, what you're saying is that instead of being tied to Apple's eco-system of online music, your friends prefer Microsofts solution?? Because, there are only TWO major choices out there right now - Apple and Microsoft. And while you may have a larger "selection" with Microsoft in terms of music players (with 75% of those players being cheap, inferior products compared to the iPod and the 25% remaining WMA-based players), you're still tied down to Microsoft. Look at it this way: Say you're a PC users and you bought music from an online music store like Napster or Real encoded with WMA, and then decided to "switch" over to a Mac, you're fucked. You're stuck with a bunch of proprietary music that won't play on a Mac thanks to Microsoft. Interoperability? As a Mac user, I know my music will play on either a PC or Mac. As far as "online" music goes, it's the most elegant system out there....and the one with the most interoperability.
This is not about Apple breaking the law, this is about France passing a new law to specifically force Apple to do something they desire. It's like a town passing a law that says Bob has to stop wearing that stupid hat.
It's more like France passing a pro-consumer law to prevent vendor lock-in. Oh wait, it's not like that, it is that.