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iTunes Law Takes Effect, Norway Next

By Ed Oswald, BetaNews

August 3, 2006, 11:59 AM

Apple's battle to keep its digital rights management system closed continued on Thursday as the French "iTunes Law" took effect. Norway also indicated that it was not happy with the response it received from the Cupertino company regarding opening up iTunes.

The Constitutional Council found portions of the French bill unconstitutional last week. The government accepted the changes and French president Jacques Chirac signed it into law earlier this week.

France's efforts to open up iTunes has spurred similar movements in other countries, including Britain, Sweden, Demark, Poland, and Norway. In Norway, Apple was given until August 1 to respond on the incompatibility issues.

The Norwegian government said Thursday that Apple had responded and was willing to talk, however both sides were far from any type of agreement.

Two aspects of Apple's position are technically illegal in the country: its unwillingness for interoperability, as well as a refusal to be liable if iTunes damages a computer when the user does not own an iPod.

If neither side can come to an agreement, Apple would be forced to appear in court to argue its position.

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By matt2971

posted Aug 6, 2006 - 11:24 AM

The-One: "Case in point, your DVD does not play in a CD player. You had to buy a DVD player to play it, right? You chose to buy the DVD, which is not compatible with your CD player, but then chose to buy a DVD player to use it. Same thing with BluRay and HD-DVD"

That is not a valid analogy because you have widened the scope to different media types. If I buy a 45rpm vinyl record, I don't expect it to play in my CD player, but I DO expect it to play on any record player that will play at 45rpm.

Just because a CD and a DVD looks similar, it doesn't mean they are, you are comparing chalk and cheese.

A more proper analogy would be buying a film on DVD that is made by ACME Ltd, and plays fine on your ACME Ltd DVD player, then later buying a new DVD player from another manufaturer and finding none of your ACME-made DVDs will play on it... not because it's an incompatible media, but because ACME have interntionally put a lock on their DVDs to stop you using anything but there equipment - in an attempt to unfairly tie you to them.

So you're wrong. And Apple suck.

Score: 0

By okhouri

edited Aug 3, 2006 - 4:03 PM

To urbanriot: You said "they should be allowed to do whatever they want with it".

Well it's their technology, but it's MY song. If I buy a song from iTunes and then decide that the iPOD is a piece of ... and choose to play the song on any other device then I should be able to.

Imagine if after buying a CD from a music shop you discover you could only play the music on their CD player!

iPODs are not special devices and without the twisted methods of Apple they wouldn't have sold so many of them.

Score: 0

By Tenoq

posted Aug 6, 2006 - 8:28 PM

Don't be ridiculous. People didn't buy iPods because they wanted access to iTunes Music Store. That's complete bulls***. They bought iPods because all their friends did, and they were the cool thing to have.

Despite all your protests, we owe a lot to the iPod. If not for it, we'd still be paying $400 for a 512MB flash player, and the quality of software would still suck. At least they dropped the costs to be in the market, and made their competitors open their eyes and produce some quality products.

Score: 0

By The-One

edited Aug 6, 2006 - 1:15 AM

I disagree.

Since noone forced you to buy an iTune, YOU are responsible for interoperability, not them.

Case in point, your DVD does not play in a CD player. You had to buy a DVD player to play it, right? You chose to buy the DVD, which is not compatible with your CD player, but then chose to buy a DVD player to use it. Same thing with BluRay and HD-DVD.

Only valid point here is "..as well as a refusal to be liable if iTunes damages a computer when the user does not own an iPod.."

That is real and should be addressed, however interoperability is a consumers CHOICE. If you want that, don't buy an iTune. There are alternatives.

Score: 0

By twosheds

edited Aug 3, 2006 - 3:56 PM

If Apple open up the DRM the RIAA and licencing companies will cut off the music. Apple only got access BECAUSE of the DRM. FairPlay DRM is already easy to compromise, if it gets any easier by 'opening it up', the Majors will have a stroke!

I hate DRM and I don't use iTunes, but even to me it is obvious that demands such as those made by the French and now (possibly)the Norwegians cannot be met by Apple, unless we would all be interested in an iTunes with only six garage bands listed on it.

Score: 0

By urbanriot

posted Aug 3, 2006 - 3:01 PM

It's their technology, they should be allowed to do whatever they want with it. If the "people" or the government representing the people aren't happy with that, use something else. People have free will... they should exert it once in a while.

Score: 0

By The-One

posted Aug 6, 2006 - 1:17 AM

It does seem to indicate these governments don't think the consumers are well informed, or even worse that their consumers are stupid.

If interoperability is something you really want, don't buy from here. Download Limewire :)

Score: 0

By Heero

posted Aug 3, 2006 - 1:53 PM

Openning up Itunes is againts the companie's policy of 'We own all'

It's that kind of attitude that has always killed Apple in sales.

Score: 0

By 1212

edited Aug 3, 2006 - 12:21 PM

they should open th DRM here in the states too. if you bought the song. you should be able to play it everywhere

Score: 0

By Paul Skinner

posted Aug 3, 2006 - 12:12 PM

Open it up and be done with it.
What's the harm to Apple, they can probably sell licences to the technology and get more money from it that way, can't they?

Score: 0

By daq

posted Aug 3, 2006 - 12:16 PM

I don't think they can sell licenses if its really open.

Score: 0

By smarterthanyou

posted Aug 3, 2006 - 1:56 PM

It doesn't sound like France wants Apple's Fair Play DRM technology open sourced(like Linux, for example). It sounds more like France wants Apple to provide enough technical documentation about the DRM software so other companies can make music players that work with Apple's DRM software.

Score: 0

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