[Fsfe-france] Da Itunes Bill : "You cannot decide overnight to create a nirvana."

[Christophe Espern]

Bonsoir,

Quelques nouvelles d'outre-atlantique ...
Pour en avoir plus, tapez copyright+france dans votre moteur préféré.

A +

Christophe

"Je sais pourquoi tant de gens aiment couper du bois. C'est une activité où 
l'on voit tout de suite le résultat." - A. Einstein

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French lawmakers to vote on iTunes bill

<http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8GFKDKG5.htm?campaign_id=apn_home_down&chan=db>

MAR. 20 7:20 P.M. ET French lawmakers are set to vote Tuesday on a draft law 
that could radically shake up Internet music sales by forcing companies like 
Apple, Microsoft and Sony to share their copy-protection technologies.

(...)

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France debates new tunes for iPod
By Thomas Crampton International Herald Tribune

<http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/03/16/business/ipod.php>

"Beyond making music compatible," said Martin Rogard, a spokesman for the 
Ministry of Culture, explaining the government position, "we are very 
favorable toward open-source software and think that free software should be 
interoperable with software that you purchase."

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France May Force Apple to Open Up iTunes as Bill Moves Ahead

<http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=a4bKype4P_JM&refer=europe>

 ``Someone who buys a song has to be able to listen to it, no matter which 
device or the software of choice,'' Rogard said in an interview on Friday. If 
the interoperability articles are approved, ``we'll see if we can push this 
on a European level.''

A proprietary format such as Apple's iTunes ``is not in the interest of the 
consumer, nor the interest of the creator. It only benefits the company and 
we're there to defend the consumer, our citizens,'' Rogard said. 

****

Will Jobs' IPod Bid Adieu To France?
Parmy Olson, 03.20.06, 2:33 PM ET

<http://www.forbes.com/facesinthenews/2006/03/20/apple-ipod-france-cx_po_0320autofacescan09.html>

(...)

Jobs' options include going the Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT -  news  -  
people )-Ballmer route: drag his feet and wait to be sued, or he could comply 
with the new law while enjoying exclusivity outside French borders. The third 
and more extreme option is complete withdrawal from the country.

With no shortage of revenue streams from other parts of the world, ditching 
France may be pas grand chose for the Cupertino, Calif.-based company. Still, 
as well as the fact that it would be passing up Europe's third-largest music 
download market, implications for the company are "most serious," according 
to Roger Kay of U.S.-based research firm Endpoint Technologies Associates.

"Apple is now becoming an important player in the digital entertainment 
domain," he told Yhe Associated Press. "It may be there that ultimately they 
get challenged on antitrust issues by various governments, including the 
U.S."


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Apple Awaits France's iTunes Decision

<http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/BBKHvTEfJ0s5JW/Apple-Awaits-Frances-iTunes-Decision.xhtml>

(...)

France may find opposition from Apple and Sony, though. Apple could choose to 
voice its rights in French courts. If there is no ear in France, the computer 
maker could take its case to the European court in Brussels.

European laws apply to each individual country above the laws that have been 
passed in those specific countries. So it is a possibility that Apple could 
go to the European courts to have this law ruled unconstitutional according 
to the European rules," Laugier said. "Apple may be headed into a legal 
battle."

***

France drafts copyright law to open up iTunes

<http://news.ft.com/cms/s/95233eee-b83a-11da-bfc5-0000779e2340.html>

However, others in the IT industry said forcing Apple to admit competitors to 
a new market it was instrumental in creating sent the wrong signal to 
technology companies. CompTIA, a trade association, said the law was the 
latest in a series of measures in the European Union that were “punishing 
inventors and stifling innovation”.

***

France Weighs Forcing iPods to Play Other Than iTunes

<http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/17/technology/17ipod.html?ex=1300251600&en=bcca4398247edecc&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss>

But technically, the French government's aim of making music playable on all 
digital devices is challenging at the least, said Mark MacGann, director 
general of the European Information and Communications Technology Industry 
Association, a trade group in Brussels whose members include Apple, Microsoft 
and Sony.

In addition, the cross-border implications are enormous, he said. "Governments 
cannot operate in a technology policy vacuum with a global industry," he 
added, saying that decisions should be made at least on a European level.
"You cannot decide overnight to create a nirvana."