March 14, 2006

iTunes Music Store

Few things are more annoying than government regulation the operation of a company.

Witness.

    France is pushing through a law that would force Apple Computer Inc to open its iTunes online music store and enable consumers to download songs onto devices other than the computer maker's popular iPod player.

    Under a draft law expected to be voted in parliament on Thursday, consumers would be able to legally use software that converts digital content into any format.

    It would no longer be illegal to crack digital rights management -- the codes that protect music, films and other content -- if it is to enable to the conversion from one format to another, said Christian Vanneste, Rapporteur, a senior parliamentarian who helps guide law in France.

    "It will force some proprietary systems to be opened up ... You have to be able to download content and play it on any device," Vanneste told Reuters in a telephone interview on Monday.


It's too bad most companies don't have the guts to say, "F-you France. No iTunes for you!"

If this passes, expect the unexpected.

Technology Posted by AlexC at March 14, 2006 11:51 AM

I'm glad to see France is taking care of the important s*#^ first. Hey France, you're all about to become muslims! 'Zat cool with you?

The precedent of Google China rears its ugly head again.

Posted by: johngalt at March 14, 2006 3:24 PM

The illusion of Gallic greatness can no longer be sustained by France's military power, so they attempt to be diplomatically powerful in messing with the US in the UN security Council or asserting power through EU regulations.

I was rooting for Microsoft to tell them to jump in a lake. Maybe Jobs will. I doubt it, but apple obviously does not want to open iTunes to other hardware vendors, maybe they will.

Posted by: jk at March 14, 2006 5:29 PM

Don't hold your breath. There's no immediate benefit to shareholders from championing a principle. Jobs will simply comply with France's demands and instruct his lawyers to make sure none of it applies in the US.

Shortsighted CEOs would rather have ten percent of the pie, any pie, every pie, they can get, than to take a stand and let that ten percent (or less) get away.

Posted by: johngalt at March 15, 2006 1:06 AM | What do you think? [3]