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French minister backs new law

updated 02:15 pm EDT, Mon May 1, 2006

French minister backs law

The French Minister of culture Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres has said the French government will move forward with a law that would render Apple's iTunes Music Store an illegal entity. The Minister said all music and videos purchased from iTunes, which currently play exclusively on Apple's iTunes software and iPod players, must be playable by other devices and software programs, according to the International Herald Tribune. Back in March French lawmakers approved the online copyright bill by a 296-193 vote, and the U.S. government backed Apple's stance on the bill two days later, saying that companies need to protect their intellectual property. iTunes rivals Maersk and TDC, which both operate their own online music services in Europe began a public lobbying effort in late March, urging Denmark to open up the closed iPod/iTunes ecosystem following coverage of the French draft law. The Danish Minister of Culture reportedly promised to introduce new DRM legislation in 2007 to help ensure interoperability.

by MacNN Staff

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Warrenpeace
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 2001

0

05/01, 02:51pm | report spam | close Reply |
Nonsense

The iTunes store is a service. If people aren't happy with the files and the DRM, they should buy elsewhere.

Expecting those files to work on other platforms is as ridiculous as being angry because your cd doesn't work in your tape deck.

Albert
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: May 2003

0

05/01, 03:04pm | report spam | close Reply |
Yeah Right

I'm sueing 'cause my CD doesn't work in my tape deck and my tapes don't work in my CD player and my AM radio doesn't get FM and my old B&W TV doesn't work with cable and my year old computer won't boot in the new OS and my 1 year old cell phone won't call russia (with love) and my digestive system won't digest genetically modified foods and my car won't run on ethanol and my dead wife can't smoke no more and my old LP records are now worth more than those old BB cards so why did mom throw them out...

The French are just unhappy, face it, until the French snobs get what ever they want for free, the youth will keep torching cars and rioting. Sounds like some good clean fun maybe we should send them our illegal aliens instead...

jarod
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Apr 2005

0

05/01, 03:33pm | report spam | close Reply |
As we all say

F**k the French! Let them rot in h*** and deal with the riots. Pull iTunes out of that craphole of a nation!

chadpengar
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 2001

0

05/01, 03:42pm | report spam | close Reply |
stupid, but here are +++

� MS will have to deploy windows media with full support for OS X and iPod as well (it works boths ways) � maybe someone can sue that I buy MS Office Windows version and it doesn't run on my Mac or my Linux box. (ie, I don't think this one has been thought through too well)

LordJohnWhorfin
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2002

0

05/01, 04:09pm | report spam | close Reply |
"Donnadieu de vabres"

Until the French finish the job they started in 1789 and chop off the heads of all these douchebag "blueblood" in-bred morons (you can tell them from the "de" in their names) they'll have to contend with complete idiocy in their government. Aux armes, etc...

eastside502

Joined:

0

05/01, 04:18pm | report spam | close Reply | delete
Typical

This is typical for France. Ask anyone who works for a French owned company, especially if you're not located in France. If somehow RCA (control your laughing) made the iPod the French Gov't would do everything in their power to keep it proprietary.

testudo
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

0

05/01, 04:29pm | report spam | close Reply |
Oh come on now!

What is this c***? There's already been six comments to this article, and not one jab at the oxymoron of "The French Minister of culture"? The best you can do is "F*** the french!"?

You people just aren't trying! Come on! You call yourselves Mac-fans? Let's put some effort into this! Just pretend MS is behind it somehow!

Oh, and eastside502, this is typical of any company, whether it be French, German, or American. The US spends loads of money on time trying to keep exports or technology out of the country to protect their internal industries.

And, more importantly, you are talking about a country whose citizens believe a 35 hour workweek, lifetime employment, and guaranteed pensions are a birthright, not based on actual performance. That's why the their economy blows and their gov't tries to give their businesses advantages.

patioman
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Joined: May 2005

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05/01, 04:30pm | report spam | close Reply |
Ding ding

Wow, that's sure idiotic, and of course two iTunes competitors are behind it. They're only for freedom! Right, right. I second chadpengar's bullet points. Where's the push to make Windows illegal?

e:leaf
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Mar 2006

0

05/01, 04:39pm | report spam | close Reply |
get a grip

@ warrenpeace @ albert

You are both complete idiots. It is not that the files will not work on other platforms, it's that are manipulated by the DRM to not work with other platforms. An MP4 file can be played by any media player capable of playing MP4s, but iTunes places DRM on them which then prevents them from playing on anything but the iPods. The files are, essentially, being sabotaged by Apple. Wouldn't you be upset if you bought a JVC DVD player, only to find out that you can't play Sony DVDs on them? That is precisely what Apple is doing with iTunes and the iPod.

That iTunes can only play on iPods can only play iTunes can only play on iPods can only play iTunes cycle is ridiculous and stops any competition before it has the ability to start.

Keeping the iPods and iTMS locked has nothing to do with protecting intellectual property or stopping piracy (that iTMS tracks can be played on an infinite number of iPods -- which happen to control 75% of the entire MP3 player market -- shows that), but about keeping control of a market through dirty business.

So until you can come up with one reasonable argument as to why (un)Fairplay should be kept completely proprietary other than "F the French!" or coming up with absolutely nonsensical metaphors (my VHS tape won't play in my DVD player), you'd best stay out of the conversation.

LordJohnWhorfin
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2002

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05/01, 05:23pm | report spam | close Reply |
The French economy blows

Testudo, the US economy is not exactly doing all that well right now in case you haven't noticed, but unlike France when things go poorly here only the poor and the middle class suffer, while the super-rich make record profits. I don't think we're in a position to point a finger and laugh. But then again with dumb comments like yours you're probably one of the morons who voted for Bush and put us in the mess we're in. Congrats.

zac4mac
Mac Elite

Joined: Oct 1999

0

05/01, 05:30pm | report spam | close Reply |
Bottom line is...

Apple will pull out of France rather than accede to their demands. We will not deal with terrorists.

beeble
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Mar 2004

0

05/01, 06:01pm | report spam | close Reply |
e:leaf

Every single one of my CDs works in iTunes and on my iPod. It is not a locked system since the iTunes/iPod system works with the method by which 98% of the worlds music is sold (the other 2% being online competitors to iTMS). How on earth can you possibly claim that a system that works with 98% of the music that is sold in the world is a locked in system? That is totally absurd. There is just no other way to describe it. ABSURD!

Apple's competitors in France have the option to sell music files that work on the iPod (mp3, aiff, etc) but they CHOOSE not to in exactly the same way that Apple CHOOSE not to sell files that will work on competitors products. Mean while consumers CHOOSE the system Apple has put in place because the competition suck at making good software/players.

The French government is doing what they have always best, s**** the French people. But I am looking forward to MS being forced to make WMP DRM work on Macs. And since these iTunes competitors will be forced to make their music playable on iPods (Apple will just pull the plug on French iTMS) then they are going to have to sell their music with no DRM. Do you seriously think the record labels are going to go along with this? I don't think so.

So Apple pulls the iTMS out of France. As does every other online music provider because they can't make the labels agree to DRM free music so they can meet the terms of the new law. Once again the French government is s******* the people. But at least they do it openly and don't try and hide the fact.

jarod
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Apr 2005

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05/01, 06:09pm | report spam | close Reply |
To President Bush

Next target: FRANCE! Let's give em some music boys :D

I.P. Freely
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: May 2003

0

05/01, 06:33pm | report spam | close Reply |
you are wrong e:leaf

Why should Apple allow their competitor to play iTMS music? Apple is in business to make money, that's why they have it. Apple isn't in the business to help other companies.

So what if they are leveraging iPod and iTMS to sell more iPods?!?!?

aristotles
Grizzled Veteran

Joined: Jul 2004

0

05/01, 06:34pm | report spam | close Reply |
WMA for OS X?

MSFT cancelled WMP for OS X and never delivered a way to purchase and play DRM'd music on OS X so why should I care if iTMS only works with the iPod directly? As a Mac user, I cannot use the default OS and the OS of my choice to make use of WMA stores anyway.

fletcher
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2005

0

05/01, 06:50pm | report spam | close Reply |
DVDs and DRM

Someone mentioned DVDs as a counter example. DVDs most certainly do have DRM. They have region encoding which only makes it possible to play them in certain regions. Beyond that DVDs can only be played, not copied. The DRM built-in to every DVD player (including the one in my MacBook) makes it very difficult to make backups of my DVDs or to transfer them to my iPod.

Apple's DRM on iTunes makes backups easy and supports burning the files to CD or even sharing them with four friends through streaming.

My question for the French would be whether this will finally open up DVDs so I can make fair use of their content like I can with CDs.

kw99
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 2001

0

05/01, 08:39pm | report spam | close Reply |
So Apple gets out

of France for iTunes Music Store. Big deal... Apple will sell just as many iPods (maybe more) so that the French can load them up with legally and illegally distributed songs that (by their law) must play on all players.

The French lawmakers don't have a clue. Apple doesn't make a huge profit from iTMS. This is not going to make Apple open up their DRM. It's going to force everyone else to support iPod, and since Apple also holds the cards on what type of DRM'ed songs can play on iPods, that means there will be no DRM (or no more legal digital music providers in France). And that's a win for Apple, because they make the best and most popular player (whether the songs on it are legally obtained or pirated).

Apple's leadership must be smirking about this one...

jhorvatic
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Apr 2005

0

05/01, 08:59pm | report spam | close Reply |
The French law just got

The French law just got shot down in commitee so that's history. As for the Danish government, there as dumb as the French. Apple won't put up with it if they pass something just like they wouldn't have with the French. If they pass any law Apple will just shutdown iTunes and then the Danish can pirate there music cause that will be the only way they'll get anything online without iTunes.

e:leaf
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Mar 2006

0

05/01, 10:59pm | report spam | close Reply |
@ beeble

@ beeble

It doesn't matter what format the files from competing files are in, they still will not play on the iPod if they have proprietary DRM on them. Meanwhile, Apple has refused to license their DRM, Fairplay, to anyone (with the exception of Motorola for the iTunes phones) which would make files capable of playing on the iPod. Other stores don't "CHOOSE" to not have their songs play on iPods, Apple "CHOOSES" to NOT allow others to play their songs on the iPod.

It has nothing to do with song formats, but with DRM. No one is talking about "DRM free music," but about a DRM which will allow all music sold online to play on any device which is capable of playing a particular format. As of now, the French government is saying that since Apple refuses to license the DRM, which allows iTMS tracks to only play on iPods and only iPods to play iTMS tracks, that people should have the right to crack the DRM.

I agree with that completely.

Apple is the one not playing nice with others. If those with digital music players buy music online they are either A) forced to buy music from the iTMS because they have an iPod, or B) forced to buy music from a competitor because they don't.

Most of us don't feel "forced" to use the iTMS because, in general, (IMO) it is a better and more user friendly buying experience than using alternative online music stores. However, if one decided that they wanted an iPod because of whatever reason (they are better, they are "in", they have a maximum volume control, etc), but decided that the iTMS wasn't the ideal online music store for them, they would be stuck. Their online choices have been eliminated because Apple won't allow them to go anywhere else to satisfy their digital music needs.

Make no mistake. When you purchase an iPod, you have also purchased the iTMS. They are a package deal. So long as you buy an iPod, you must use the iTMS if you want to purchase online, and vice versa. If you buy a track from the iTMS, you must also purchase an iPod if you want a digital music player. If one product necessitates another, then it is, by every definition, a closed system.

We, as iPod users (I have 2 myself) are given only 1 alternative to the iTMS, which is purchasing CDs. That is not much of a choice at all. If I CHOOSE to buy music online, I MUST use the iTMS as there are NO alternatives. How is this consumer friendly? What if, in 5 years, the iPod is a washed up piece of junk? Hundreds, or maybe even thousands of dollars of music bought from the iTMS are completely useless. How is this right?

As a consumer I want full choices in what I buy, and not a watered down selection that a company sees fit to allow me to have.

kw99
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 2001

0

05/02, 05:07am | report spam | close Reply |
e:leaf - flawed reasoning

If the law went into effect, it would essentially mean DRM-less downloads, because Apple controls both the most popular music player AND the most popular download service. That means Apple can say "NO MORE iTMS in France, but we'll keep selling you iPods, and here's the software (called iTunes) to rip your CDs."

However, the other music download providers will have to support the most popular music player (iPod) with their DRM'd songs, by law. But Apple won't support those other DRM formats, because "Hey, in France, the iPod is only for ripping and listening to CDs. We do not support music downloads in France." So to comply with the stupid French law, the other music download providers will need to provide a file format iPods can play (music with no DRM), or leave the business, just like iTMS. I think the French lawmakers finally realized all of this...

"What if, in 5 years, the iPod is a washed up piece of junk? Hundreds, or maybe even thousands of dollars of music bought from the iTMS are completely useless. How is this right?"

It's not any more right or wrong than my dusty collection of music casette tapes. I don't want to play that format anymore (and my old tape player barely works), but I'm not complaining about not being able to somehow convert them for free into CDs. That would be great, but I don't expect it to happen. Yes, I can go through the effort of digitizing the tapes by playing them one last time into an audio file, using available software. And if you really wanted to, you can go through some extra steps and convert Apple DRM'd files into whatever future format you are imagining, using available software.

In other words, you have all the reasonable choices you need. The choices you are imagining are commendable and certainly "consumer friendly," but unreasonable. Just like the French lawmakers.

ronjamin
Baninated

Joined: May 2002

0

05/02, 02:43pm | report spam | close Reply |
F DRM

The problem is DRM. The fact is that every legitimate user out there wont pirate music. It's only the criminals that do.

The problem is the recording industry. They are vampires. They want monopoly power and control. They want to suck the life-blood out of the artists and the consumer.

DRM is the law of the land. Apple has leveraged this stupid DRM to it's advantage. Now the techno-music industry/leftist pinko frenchies are wining. Pussies.

macs are good mkay
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Feb 2006

0

05/02, 09:10pm | report spam | close Reply |
stupid republicans

your all stupid republicans, even if you dont know it. what's with all the racism? (or discrimination) what did the french do to you? just so you know, hating the french really makes you sound like a republican, and everyone hates repubicans. also, stop buying from the itms you idiots, why would anyone pay .99 for a crappy audio file with no physical artwork or packaging? and furthermore, dont buy any technology, it wont work with what you have. or just do some research first.

macs are good mkay
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Feb 2006

0

05/02, 10:33pm | report spam | close Reply |
times change

ok, aside from making fun of republicans (too easy) seriously, whats the problem with apples policy? dont buy songs from itunes if you dont like it. that simple. god they act like ipods and aacs are a god given right. apple has the right to be idiots, you have a right to ignore them, not pass laws to ban them. if there policies are bad, they will not get your business, and they will lose. you can go back to your cds. its not like the ipod limits what you can put on it. so you baught a song that will only play on an ipod, i baught software that will only work on a pc/mac and only that specific pc/mac. its called copy protection. buy your itunes c*** assuming its for your ipod and your fine. my vinyl, tape, and now cd collections are obsolete and i cant even find an 8track player anywhere. ipods were awesome b4 the itms anyhow. take it for what it is folks. when will we see similar legislation passed for the cell phone companys haha. stop buying from itms for the record, i do love apple, and i think they are smart to do what they do (because they make tons of !$ on it) but for me its not worth the .99

macs are good mkay
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Feb 2006

0

05/02, 11:29pm | report spam | close Reply |
s**** everything

and while im at it, s**** aac and mp3s what ever happened to aiff? i want my 16 bits of dynamics and 44100 samples per second. its so lame that we accept lesser and lesser quality when we could be all listening to beautiful 24bit 96k audio or super audio cds or the like or surround sound with all of the above. i record music at 24bit 88.2k and whats the point when everyone who listens will make an mp3 of it anyhow. people dont know what they are missing. sure 24bit takes twice as much space and so does 88.2k but come on our storage capacity doubles every 9 months or something like that. soon the size of an mp3 will be analogous to the size of a text file. then well worry about how to compress our hdtv to fit on our ipods. then eventually holograms. heres a tip: offer aiffs at least and i will buy from your online music store. until then

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French minister backs new law

updated 02:15 pm EDT, Mon May 1, 2006

French minister backs law

Nonsense

Yeah Right

As we all say

stupid, but here are +++

"Donnadieu de vabres"

Typical

Oh come on now!

Ding ding

get a grip

The French economy blows

Bottom line is...

e:leaf

To President Bush

you are wrong e:leaf

WMA for OS X?

DVDs and DRM

So Apple gets out

The French law just got

@ beeble

e:leaf - flawed reasoning

F DRM

stupid republicans

times change

s**** everything

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French minister backs new law

updated 02:15 pm EDT, Mon May 1, 2006

French minister backs law

Related Articles

Recent Articles

Nonsense

Yeah Right

As we all say

stupid, but here are +++

"Donnadieu de vabres"

Typical

Oh come on now!

Ding ding

get a grip

The French economy blows

Bottom line is...

e:leaf

To President Bush

you are wrong e:leaf

WMA for OS X?

DVDs and DRM

So Apple gets out

The French law just got

@ beeble

e:leaf - flawed reasoning

F DRM

stupid republicans

times change

s**** everything

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