France Hates Apple

[A_Wanderer]

Being that the French companies can't compete the governent has "solved" the problem

French lawmakers voted Tuesday to approve an online copyright bill that would break open the exclusive formats behind Apple's market-leading iTunes music store and iPod players, reports the Associated Press

The draft law -- which also introduces new penalties for music pirates -- would force Apple Computer Inc., Sony Corp. and Microsoft Corp. to share proprietary anti-copy technologies (DRM software) so that rivals can offer compatible services and players.

Lawmakers in the National Assembly, France's lower house, approved the bill 296-193. The legislation now has to be debated and voted by the Senate -- a process expected to begin in May, the AP said.

According to the same report, the new legislation would also introduce penalties ranging from euro38 to euro150 ($50 to $180) for those caught pirating music or movies at home and euro3,750 ($4,600) for hackers who disable copy-protection systems. Those caught distributing software for online piracy face fines of up to euro300,000 ($365,000) and jail terms.

Apple has made no comments on the decision, as of yet, and still reserves the right to pull out of France entirely, allowing it to proceed with its closed iTunes + iPod ecosystem.

link

 

[all_i_want]

here is the thing: what companies like Apple and Sony do by their proprietary DRM technology is locking up the customers who buy iPods to the their online music stores. I can't sell the same product, a song, to an iPod owner the way Apple does, not because my offering is inferior, but because Apple doesn't let me.

These 'closed eco-systems' essentially take away the customers choice to switch away from a service, you HAVE to buy from iTunes because you already spent money on the iPod. Same applies to Sony, the company has made life harder for many of its customers over the Betamax-VHS divide, and continues to do so at the latest Blu-ray incident.

Now, if the case issued in the article isnt similar to Microsoft locking consumers with its Internet Explorer, Media Player etc, actually even WORSE since you effectively cant choose where you can buy from, i dont know what is.

 

[melon]

Companies never learned from the 1980s when they realized that their overly restrictive software copy protection was actually slowing sales. As such, they actually stopped it completely and accepted that a certain level of piracy will exist.

The trouble this time is that, rather than coming to the conclusion that their copy protection is actually part of the problem, they just see their falling sales and increased piracy as proof that they need MORE copy protection. Nevermind that pirates look at copy protection as a challenge to be met.

It's the blind leading around the deaf after a while. But these are the same kind of people that came to the conclusion that VCRs and cassette tapes meant the death of the movie and music industries. They're the same overpaid morons running the show as always.

Melon

 

[a-mole]

Being that the French companies can't compete the governent has "solved" the problemlink

yes.. that is the exact reason

no other reason whatsoever can possibly be existent

da capo!

 

[financeguy]

My initial reaction - and I haven't researched it in depth - is that this is actually sensible from an anti-trust point of view, i.e. it is in the interests of the consumer.

 

[City7]

My thing is...

This isn't a fact but an assumption on my part- Look at everyone who has an mp3 player. I guarantee you that MOST of them are iPod owners. I mean, honestly, I could only name you about four other companies that make mp3 players (other than Apple). Apple OWNS the mp3 player business as of now, and they will until something bigger and better comes out.

Also, it doesn't help that I'm a mac user...

 

[a-mole]

true
but what is your point?
making the format more accessible / compatible with other mp3 players will not make th eiPod useless. It will be more exposed to competition... from a consumers pov not the worst thing

 

[wizard2c]

reply

City7.......must admit......I'm an Apple User 2.....even have the U2 iPod......{uh}......BTW......{in a box next to my Apple Dual Processor with Cinema Display is..........the new Laptop Powerbook Pro......I want to open the box....but it has to be at a special time.........but then I must open it soon before Steve comes out with an upgrade.......hurry......hurry.....}

Sorry all.... got off the subject.....I'm better now though......

 

[shrmn8rpoptart]

the one thing i don't quite understand is this: the ipod does play other formats than m4a and aac, i can load mp3s and wavs, and it will convert (unprotected) wmas into the right format. so what is all the fuss against apple about?

if i don't want to hastle with drm stuff, then i can either buy a cd (and make sure it doesn't have the software, like the sony cd that installed a nasty virus on my computer!) or buy from a site like emusic.com which doesn't copy-protect their songs.

yeah, i can't play stuff i download from any of the wmp-based services, but they did that purposely, so i don't really feal sorry about that.