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French Lawmakers Approve 'iTunes Law'

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the play-together-and-enjoy-it dept.

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."

11 of 423 comments (clear)

  1. Funny by lisaparratt · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Because the way I'm looking at it, it has the intention of making Apple close ITMS in France...

    1. Re:Funny by shotfeel · · Score: 4, Insightful
      I'm not sure it does anything. From TFA
      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,

      So for music from the iTMS, the "technical data" is to burn to CD, rip to mp3, transfer to music player of choice.

      To play on the iPod, other music stores just need to sell music in non-protected form (AAC or mp3).

      Note that AFAIK (from summarized English translations) it says nothing of the process being free, easy, or lossless.
  2. The market can only decide if it CAN decide by Opportunist · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's quite cynical from a patent holder to invoke the right for free trade and the idea that in a free market the customer will settle the question which good is better.

    He cannot.

    Actually, the French decision IS the epitome of free trade: BOTH products, the iPod and iTunes have to succeed as the best platform. You can't have one product "tag along" with the other one. BOTH have to be successful to be the main player.

    Now, I wonder if that verdict can be applied to the hassle around Windows and Media Player/IE...

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:The market can only decide if it CAN decide by posterlogo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's quite cynical from a patent holder to invoke the right for free trade and the idea that in a free market the customer will settle the question which good is better. He cannot. Actually, the French decision IS the epitome of free trade: BOTH products, the iPod and iTunes have to succeed as the best platform. You can't have one product "tag along" with the other one. BOTH have to be successful to be the main player.

      NO idea what you're talking about. Patents are fully compatible with free trade. In this case, there isn't really even a patent on the idea of listening to music in a digital format. All anyone has to do to get into this business is license the music from the copyright holder, and make your own damn online store and digital player. Oh wait, but you're not really going to be able to offer it at 99c, right? Thanks France, you just made it easier for the RIAA to anally probe us all. Itunes is a free software package. You can download music and play it on itunes. That is the purpose of the software package. A separate hardware package, the iPod, enables you to take that music onto a portable player. WTF is so hard to understand about that? Want an ipod, but not iTunes music? FINE!!! Get some mp3s. Want iTunes, but no iPod? FINE!!! What is the problem here?? You want neither, FINE!!! No one is shoving these products down our throats.

    2. Re:The market can only decide if it CAN decide by drinkypoo · · Score: 4, Informative
      To extend that logic slightly, Chevy should be required to tell eveyone how their engine control system works so you aren't required to purchase their engine and transmission along with the car; perhaps they should be required to also offer Volvo, Cummins or Ferrari engines. Or they should be required to sell multiple brands of seats.

      Chevy is required to tell how the system works - at least how to interface to it - so that it can be maintained. In fact, they even have to make their OBD-II powertrain codes available "for a reasonable fee".

      On top of that, all popular automotive engines eventually become available as "crate motors" - it's a complete, never-installed engine in a crate. You buy the appropriate service manual, and you get complete documentation on how to interface to it. (Some of them are really old, and simple; for them, if you know what you're doing, you don't even need a manual. Like the 426 chrysler hemi, which was [fairly] recently made available... the drag race guys had bought them all up and converted them to alcohol and there were none left to speak of.

      Please, stay away from the comparisons to the automotive world. You're just as bad at it as damned near everyone else. If you want to get engine specs, documentation, and the bare engine itself, you can, and there's no DRM stopping you from using it in any vehicle you like, either.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  3. Ipods already compatible by slashkitty · · Score: 4, Interesting

    with some other music services, like allofmp3.com If I create some bohunk music store, does apple have to support my new crazy format?

    --
    -- these are only opinions and they might not be mine.
  4. This story is misleading - that was is awfully bad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    This article presents the DADVSI law as if it would be good for free software. It isn't.

    With the law as it is passed, there is a very real risk that anyone in France who distributes software such as libdvdcss could face up to three years in prison.

    Don't be distracted by the headlines about Apple. This law could be a major blow to legal playback of DVD and other protected digital media using free software.

  5. Re:When government needs to butt out. by PCM2 · · Score: 4, Insightful
    This whole law smacks of Frances communist-like laws to give poorly run French buisnesses a chance by gimping the better run foreign competitors.

    Oh yeah, and the United States' capitalist-like laws have never done that.

    --
    Breakfast served all day!
  6. Re:When government needs to butt out. by govtpiggy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Have you never heard of tariffs? That is the essence of "gimping the better run foreign competitors" and is law in the US.

    --
    do you know squarepusher?
  7. READ WIKIPEDIA'S ARTICLE by Submarine · · Score: 5, Informative

    Just read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DADVSI
    Most news sources just tell rubbish about this law.

    This so-called "iTunes law" began as a law meant to criminalize peer-to-peer file sharing as well as any circumvention of DRMs.

    The so-called "iTunes" clauses were introduced as amendments, proposed by free software activists who wanted to save the legal possibility of making free software players. Apple was a side casualty.

  8. Archos-support legislation? by CptNerd · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Isn't if funny that no one is mentioning that a French company, Archos, manufactures a line of media players, which hasn't been doing so well competing with Apple? I'm sure the French government has absolutely no vested interest in supporting efforts to hurt foreign competitors.

    --
    By the taping of my glasses, something geeky this way passes