“French lawmakers gave final approval Friday to legislation that could force Apple Computer Inc. to make its iPod and iTunes Music Store compatible with rivals’ music players and online services,” Laurence Frost and Nathalie Schuck report for The Associated Press. “The vote was the final legislative step before the bill becomes law — barring the success of a last-ditch constitutional challenge filed last week by the opposition Socialists.”
“Currently, songs bought on iTunes can be played only on iPods, and an iPod can’t play downloads from other stores that rival the extensive iTunes music catalog from major artists and labels,” Frost and Schuck report. “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. It also maintained a loophole introduced by senators, which could allow Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple and others to dodge the data-sharing demands by striking new deals with record labels and artists.”
Full article here.
Apple to music labels: You will tell us that you have explicitly decided and approved that our FairPlay DRM must be included on music offered via iTunes Music Store. Sign here. Fini.
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Good MDN take.
Use the truth. What a concept.
lol.. the french surrendered again…. what a surprise
fini isn’t french, you mdn american shmuck
Congrats to the French, they’ve just closed the best online store in the world in there area. Have fun pirating! The record labels will not have Apple sell there music without DRM period!
Jackson,
You’re the schmuck, couillon:
http://www.wordreference.com/fren/fini
John,
I’ll make it easy for you:
Get back on the bus and keep your helmet on your head. I told you not to be stupid, you moron.
I don’t like DRM, but I can live with Apple’s version because if you know what your doing, you can get around it.
What’s important is that the artists are on board bringing thier content to iTMS because of the DRM.
Apple needs to maintain complete control over the DRM because they are carefully balancing the needs of both artists and customers.
Having some third rate company like Microsoft or Real throwing money wrenches in their DRM schemes and forcing Apple to play along to gain market share for them is not going to create stability in the marketplace.
Consumers have a choice NOT to buy DRMed music, most get it for free or via sites like AllofMP3.com. Those of us that choose to buy Apple’s DRM music know very well the hardware lock that comes with it.
But like I said, if you know what your doing, the hardware lock on iTMS is easily circumvented.
Fini means finished in French. Okay.
Français,
Funny!
Couillon: http://www.wordreference.com/fren/couillon
Ah,,,the French!
Plus ça change,
Plus c’est la meme chose!
Hey Jackson, where’s your retort, apology, or additional flamebait?
I wonder if we’ll see the record labels try a “we’d love to sign your new contract to keep you in business in France,… right after you sign our new US contract.”
“Currently, songs bought on iTunes can be played only on iPods…”
We know this to be false, but the law is an ass, as always. Right, it ain’t a one-step process, but it’s not forbidden.
“…and an iPod can’t play downloads from other stores”
This is more the case, as it doesn’t play WMA crap, and who in hell wants it to? But, it will play absolutely anything in several other formats, so, seems to me the store that only sells WMA stuff is more the exclusionary force here.
Apple can’t open thier music in France to play on other players or all countries will demand the same. The only option is for Apple to shut down iTunes in France and show the world that they won’t be bullied.
Take that you hairy arm pit french women and beret wearing bastards!
To the people still saying that Apple should just leave France please keep up. The laws current language lets any company out of the requirement to open up their store if they get the record labels to state that they won’t allow their content to be sold without DRM. Everyone signs papers forbidding Apple from taking part and Apple is expemted, as is every other store because the labels will happily keep control of their music.
To the person who said:
“we’d love to sign your new contract to keep you in business in France,… right after you sign our new US contract.”
I don’t think it requires an all new contract, just a statement, maybe a signed affadavit saying “You have to sell my music using DRM or you can’t sell it at all”. If the labels don’t sign it Apple could threaten to open up the french store, and I bet Big Music is more afraid of piracy than Apple is of an open solution.
To the person who said you can get around iTunes’ DRM yes you can but contrary to your statement it is forbidden. If it’s not expressly forbidden in the license you get from ITMS it is forbidden by the DMCA to circumvent any copyright protection scheme.
To all the France haters: STFU So someone did something you didn’t like. Get over it. This law hardly defines the French as a people and like most hateful poeple you probably don’t have a basic understanding if the French people or their politics or philosophy. If I saw an argument on here like “French egalatarianism is impossible in a productive competitive economy” maybe I could understand your point. Instead all we hear is “Goddam frenchies don’t shave and their cheese smells like my feet. fuckin grosss!!!1one”
Word: food, as in the French make some very good food.
I take part of that back. It does look like it requires new contracts, I guess that could make it interesting depending on what the current contracts say. I’d be surprised if there isn’t already a clause to prevent music from being sold without adequate copy protection, in case someone totally destroyed FairPlay the record labels would want to be able to force iTunes to halt sales until it was fixed. Maybe the French law requires something more specific. If Apple does require action from the labels to get around this French law I wonder what happens if the labels refuse. Would Apple just have to stop sales? To know exactly who has leverage on whom I think we’d have to read the entire French law and Apple’s contracts with the various labels and know who is more afraid of open or DRM free music, Apple or the labels?
Wade:
“…and an iPod can’t play downloads from other stores” This is more the case, as it doesn’t play WMA crap, and who in hell wants it to?”
But I thought you can also burn a WMA file to a CD and then convert it to MP3…or is it only songs downloaded from iTunes that can magically do that? Works both ways right?
So that means BOTH types of stores are affected by this law…but Apple is the bigger fish, so they’re the ones that are played up.
So I’m assuming that France will also force Microsoft to open up its DRM scheme as well??!
Applw will not do anything about this.
Apple will wait for a law suit from the French Gov’t. Then they will attempt to defend their DRM policies. It will be a test case. That is how this sort of thing plays out. Apple will have their day in French court. If they lose, that’s when they will have to decide what they’re going to do about it.