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For six years, the Internet Nexus served as my technology blog, but I've since started blogging at the SuperSite Blog instead. If you're looking for the blog, please head there. --Paul

Friday, June 23, 2006

France Softens iTunes Law, but Apple Is Still Disgruntled

New York Times:

Leading French lawmakers voted Thursday to water down a draft copyright law that could force Apple Computer to make its iPod music player and iTunes online store compatible with rivals' offerings.

But the changes did not appear to go far enough to satisfy Apple, which dropped the strongest hint yet that it might withdraw from the French downloading market rather than comply.

While the compromise adopted Thursday still asserts that companies should share the technical data essential to such "interoperability," it tones down many of the tougher measures backed by the lower house.

It also maintains a loophole introduced last month by senators, which could allow Apple and others to dodge data-sharing demands by striking new deals with record labels and artists.

Apple, which had condemned the lower house proposals as "state-sponsored piracy," nevertheless hinted that the new draft law could affect its presence in France.

Regardless of your stance in the Apple vs. the World debate, clearly these technologies need to be opened up. You should be able to buy Napster songs for your iPod and buy iTunes songs for your Creative MP3 player. Eventually, the market will move in this direction, I'd guess. However, France obviously realizes that Apple will simply pull out of that country if the law had pass under its former terms. Perhaps a bigger entity--like the EU or DOJ--needs to step in with some well-argued antitrust concerns. From where I stand, the consumer should always come first.

[ Posted at 2:12 PM | Permalink ]