News
French iTunes interoperability law goes into effect
The controversial French law affecting the iPod and iTunes Music Store went into effect Thursday. “The Internet copyright law included passed France’s parliament June 30. The Constitutional Council threw out several measures last week, concluding that they violated constitutional property protections,” reports the Associated Press. “French President Jacques Chirac signed it this week with the body’s changes. The law was published in the government’s Journal Official on Thursday, formally putting it into force.” The copyright bill, which Apple previously called “state-sponsored piracy,” could force the company to open up its iPod and iTunes copy-protection technology in order to make Apple’s song downloads and player compatible with rivals.
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1
Bye bye DRM
Posted by matt on August 3, 2006 at 9:32 AM (PDT)
2
On the flip side…Mircosoft’s copy-protection technology needs to work with Apple computers. Apple’s DRM is not the only copy-protection that is limiting.
Posted by gregroks on August 3, 2006 at 9:44 AM (PDT)
3
“The copyright bill, which Apple previously called “state-sponsored piracy,” could force the company to open up its iPod and iTunes copy-protection technology in order to make Apple’s song downloads and player compatible with rivals.”
Or could have iTMS leave France….
Posted by jimlat on August 3, 2006 at 11:09 AM (PDT)
4
I thought that this new bill that passed had all of its bite taken out?
In the end, I’m pretty sure that it turned out better for copyright holders than consumers.
Posted by jom on August 3, 2006 at 11:13 AM (PDT)
5
Apple must realize that even their DRM has not stopped a single thief from stealing protected music. Instead all it does is limit honest customers’ choices of hardware. But then again, with 70% of the market share Apple must think they can sneeze on those who don’t own ipods.
Personally I don’t understand Apple’s reluctance to open up FairPlay. If anything, it would allow ITMS to be used with more devices, thus bringing in even more customers who currently can’t use it. Unless of course Apple are so insecure about ipod’s sales they need to force ITMS customers to buy them in such a manner.
Posted by Chahk on August 3, 2006 at 1:48 PM (PDT)
6
Apple makes money selling iPods, not selling music. You can fill in the rest.
Posted by Alex on August 4, 2006 at 1:19 AM (PDT)
7
If you built a cruise ship and the goverment told you that you had to let people on your cruise ship from another cruise line that didn’t pay you, would you let them on board without a fight?
Posted by FrenchMaidTV on August 4, 2006 at 5:21 AM (PDT)
8
But if a gas company that controls 70% of the world’s gas stations would not allow you to put their gas into your car unless you bought the car from them, wouldn’t you fight them?
Posted by Chahk on August 4, 2006 at 6:47 AM (PDT)
9
with Fairplay open, it could lead to a host of issues with 3rd party vendor’s selling not to cosher music ( as in badly encoded / DRM’d ), as it stands now, there is just the song’s you import.
With 3rd party songs, it will be even more of a Mery-Go-Round of Vendor A saying that its not their song causing problems its the iPod, causing people to be miffed at apple, when its the 3rd Party, or the other way around. either way Causing more headache.
but ultimatly IMHO the Government has no right dictating what Apple can do with Apple’s Tech.
It should rather be Un-Limit the DRM restriction on the iPod itself instead of open up Fairplay, as if they open up fairplay, there will be software made that will take the DRM off, pretty much negating the DRM in the first place. ( Aka, iTunes songs being freely traded ).
But if there is no DRM restriction on other players, and their still loosing sales to the iPod/iTunes, obviously the DRM issue wont do anything as the other companies have no idea what their doing.
Posted by Hell-In-A-Handbasket on August 4, 2006 at 6:55 AM (PDT)
10
“It should rather be Un-Limit the DRM restriction on the iPod itself instead of open up Fairplay, as if they open up fairplay, there will be software made that will take the DRM off, pretty much negating the DRM in the first place. ( Aka, iTunes songs being freely traded ).”
Will it surprise you to find out that there already exists software to strip DRM from itunes-purchased music? Aka, itunes songs can be freely traded today.
I hate to sound like a broken record, but DRM of any sort (be it FairPlay, Plays4Sure or what have you) does not stop music piracy. All it does is place unnecessary restrictions on honest customers instead.
Posted by Chahk on August 4, 2006 at 1:37 PM (PDT)