French lawmakers set to vote on music interoperability bill

French lawmakers will vote today on a draft law that could force companies such as Apple, Microsoft and Sony to share their digital copy-protection technologies. The bill, which would break the exclusive iTunes-iPod link, requires companies to provide the inner-workings of their digital rights management (DRM) so that competitors can offer compatible products. After today’s vote, the bill is due to be sent to France’s Senate for its last full reading and vote.
“The vote comes after the National Assembly, France’s lower house, last week approved amendments to the online copyright bill that would break the exclusive link between Apple’s market-leading iTunes music store and iPod players,” reports the AP. “Apple has so far refused to comment on the bill or on analysts’ suggestions that the Cupertino, California-based company might choose to withdraw from the French online music market, rather than share the proprietary technology at the heart of its business model.”