French Lawmakers Approve 'iTunes Law'
- Jun 30, 2006 09:29 AM (AP Online)
- http://www.quote.com/home/news/story.asp?story=59487219
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By LAURENCE FROST and NATHALIE SCHUCK Associated Press Writers
PARIS (AP) -- French lawmakers gave final approval Friday to
legislation that could force Apple Computer Inc. to make its iPod and
iTunes Music Store compatible with rivals' music players and online
services.
Both the Senate and the National Assembly, France's lower house,
voted in favor of the copyright bill, which some analysts said could
cause Apple Computer Inc. and others to pull their music players and
online download stores from France.
The vote was the final legislative step before the bill becomes law _
barring the success of a last-ditch constitutional challenge filed
last week by the opposition Socialists.
Currently, songs bought on iTunes can be played only on iPods, and an
iPod can't play downloads from other stores that rival the extensive
iTunes music catalog from major artists and labels _ like Sony's
Connect and Napster.
Apple described the original version of the copyright bill as
"state-sponsored piracy" earlier this year, but a company spokesman
was not immediately available to comment on Friday's vote.
In a statement issued after lawmakers hashed out the final compromise
text last week, Apple said it hoped the market would be left to
decide "which music players and online music stores are offered to
consumers."
The final compromise asserts that companies should share the required
technical data with any rival that wants to offer compatible music
players and online stores, but it toned down many of the tougher
measures backed by lower-house lawmakers early on.
It also maintained a loophole introduced by senators, which could
allow Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple and others to dodge the
data-sharing demands by striking new deals with record labels and
artists.
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