French Lawmakers Approve 'iTunes Law'

An anonymous reader writes "Lawmakers in the French government have passed a controversial iTunes law, which has the stated intention of forcing Apple to allow purchased music to be universally useable." From the article: "In a statement issued after lawmakers hashed out the final compromise text last week, Apple said it hoped the market would be left to decide 'which music players and online music stores are offered to consumers.' The final compromise asserts that companies should share the required technical data with any rival that wants to offer compatible music players and online stores, but it toned down many of the tougher measures backed by lower-house lawmakers early on."

Comments

I for one

[Topherbyte]

welcome our new French Overlords!

NOT. As an Apple shareholder I say FUCK FRANCE.

Hey Steve, despite how much they like taking it up the rear, let's just pull out of France completely OK?

Or how about we just invalidate every French iPod's warranty?

Yeah, that's the ticket.

"Force Apple"

[Archangel Michael]

I, one of many, wish to see Apple simply not offer iTMS to the French. In the words of a famous French Queen, "Let them eat cake"!

That way, all the iPod wearers can point at and call everyone who is wearing an MP3 player not made by Apple, some derogatory name. Please feel free to suggest terms to use below.

Re:"Force Apple"

[muindaur]

Really, Apple is trying to get its own little monoploy for its player, mayber if they played fair this wouldnt happen to them. I use Creative MP3 players because I can use at least napster or yahoo, maybe even some others. See something going on their, businesses that are smart unlike apple that is greddy and selfish and extremely stupid.

When government needs to butt out.

[falcon5768]

I can understand the things being done to Microsoft because for the most part there is no other choice, most buisness and entertainment programs run on Windows and thats it, its next to impossible to run in Linux, and Microsoft makes a effort to prevent manufacturers from ever putting Linux on machines they sell. But this iTunes stuff is just crap, there are plenty of other players out there, and plenty of other serivces not to mention you can rip your own CDs and use the music that way. Nothing is forcing you to buy a iPod or use iTunes, its a choice. More importantly other players work IN iTunes, you just cant use the store, I used a RIO in iTunes for years before buying a iPod.

This whole law smacks of Frances communist-like laws to give poorly run French buisnesses a chance by gimping the better run foreign competitors. I thought the EU was created to prevent countries from doing this kind of crap as long as they where members.

Grand!

[WhiteWolf666]

I anxiously await the specifications of the various Windows Media formats as they pertain to downloaded media.

After all; I want to be able to play purchased WMV and WMA files on my iPod, as well as my various Linux devices.

Re:The market can only decide if it CAN decide

[msuarezalvarez]

Kinda sounds a little socialist to me...

The word `socialist' has that denigratory sense you are using only in a few places, the US being one of them.

It's France, stupid!

[alexgieg]

Apple said it hoped the market would be left to decide 'which music players and online music stores are offered to consumers.'

<sarcasm> What? Free market? Why, doesn't Apple know it's France she's talking about?!? </sarcasm>