“Apple Computer Inc. said on Friday it was awaiting final approval of a French bill aimed at opening online media stores to rivals, which it hoped would leave the market to decide which systems prevailed,” Reuters reports.

“‘We are awaiting the final result of France’s legislative process,’ Apple spokesman Alan Hely said in an emailed statement. ‘(We) hope they let the …. marketplace … decide which music players and online music stores are offered to consumers,’” Reuters reports.

“Apple’s iTunes service is currently the biggest online content store after the runaway success of the iPod player but it faces competition from several rivals including Sony Corp., Dell Inc. and Microsoft,” Reuters reports. “Consumer groups have criticised the amendments and the opposition Socialists denounced the compromise as a ‘facade’ which amounted to a ‘capitulation’ to Apple and Microsoft.”

Full article here.
Apple’s iTunes “faces competition from several rivals including Sony Corp., Dell Inc. and Microsoft?” If that’s the “competition,” Apple’s going to be sitting pretty for quite some time. And, hands up, who’s surprised that the Socialists don’t want to let the market to decide and instead favor government intervention?

[UPDATE: 4:12pm EDT: removed "for" from headline. Thanks, Mr Skills.]

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