“The French Senate approved a new copyright bill yesterday, but amended it to soften a requirement for digital music vendors such as Apple Computer to open up their DRM (digital rights management) technologies to competitors,” Peter Sayer reports for IDG News Service. “The text of the bill approved by senators on Wednesday retains the principle of DRM interoperability, but opens a loophole allowing companies to keep their technology secret… Senators weakened the bill’s blanket requirement that vendors give details of their DRM technology to those wishing to develop interoperable systems. Instead, they voted to create a new regulatory authority responsible for mediating requests for such details.”
“The authority will have the power to order companies to share details of their DRM, but companies will be able to refuse as long as their DRM systems only limit usage of digital music or movies in a way approved by the author or copyright holder,” Sayer reports. “Developers of open source software seeking to make their code interoperable with DRM-protected systems and files will also face a challenge: DRM technology owners will be allowed to prohibit publication of source code developed using the details they provide, if they can show that such publication would seriously affect the security and effectiveness of their DRM system.”
Full article here.
Advertisements:
• Get the new iMac with Intel Core Duo for as low as $31 A MONTH with Free shipping!
• Get the MacBook Pro with Intel Core Duo for as low as $47 A MONTH with Free Shipping!
• Apple’s new Mac mini. Intel Core, up to 4 times faster. Starting at just $599. Free shipping.
• Apple’s brand new iPod Hi-Fi speaker system. Home stereo. Reinvented. Available now for $349 with free shipping.
• iPod. 15,000 songs. 25,000 photos. 150 hours of video. The new iPod. 30GB and 60GB models start at just $299. Free shipping.
• Connect iPod to your television set with the iPod AV Cable. Just $19.
• iPod Radio Remote. Listen to FM radio on your iPod and control everything with a convenient wired remote. Just $49.
Related articles:
French Senate vote could offer loophole for Apple’s iTunes – May 09, 2006
Vive l’iTunes! French ‘state-sponsored piracy’ DRM law gutted in committee – May 01, 2006
Force open Apple’s FairPlay? What has possessed the French this time? – April 27, 2006
French Trade Minister: Apple’s iTunes must play fair in French music market – April 14, 2006
JP Morgan: French DRM law will have limited impact on Apple Computer – March 28, 2006
Dvorak: What the French got right with proposed DRM law – March 28, 2006
Will Apple’s Steve Jobs bid France adieu? – March 22, 2006
Wired’s Kahney: Proposed French copyright protection law a good thing for consumers in the long run – March 22, 2006
Apple calls proposed French DRM law ‘state-sponsored piracy,’ predicts iPod sales increase – March 21, 2006
French National Assembly approves digital copyright bill; could affect Apple’s FairPlay DRM – March 21, 2006
The original Statue of Liberty was of a Black woman whose hand was shown breaking the chains that held her in the shackles. But that was too radical for the “freedom-conscious, status preserving power structure, who at that time were only concerned about preserving their own status. Statue of Liberty, my eye.
it’s obvious you’re the same poster because of the way you type and use elipsies. Please be honest enough to use one handle instead of pretending to be more than one person. Unless you’re macdude, then post away, we’re used to him being a nutcase here.
Wow, what a discussion.
Anytime France is mentioned, this starts! It really reveals the underlying tension/hatred these two countries have for one another.
I’m a U.S. citizen with love for both countries. We both have problems, we both have things that are good. Let’s leave it at that?
My dear American cousin,
how pathetic your post is!
I certainly do have American friends and, unlike you, they can write good English.
Yeah, send the statue back. If keeping it means we have to owe the french one day longer. Rip it apart and send the bitch home. Ungrateful frogs.
Ameriphobe – figure it out.
I am posting under one handle, not multiple ones.
I like Americans. However, when they talk stoopid, they become Ameritards.
I also dislike people who are wilfully ignorant of the past and the present. I tell them so, to their faces as well as on boards like this. They don’t like it much because it creates an unwanted conflict in their effort to sound more like Bill O’Retard or Rush Drugabuser or whatever.
I also dislike donut-eaters. And Puritans. And especially puritanical donut-eaters. Puritanical donut-eaters were the reason the Founding Fathers were Deists.
I see Americans as Deists, until they start talking stoopid. Then they become Puritans.
Now it’s time for lunch. Let’s see, what on the menu? Hmmm… I’ll have the Puritan stew, please. Excuse me, that stew still comes with the cheese-eating surrender monkey? Fresh? Good! And a Budweiser, please. And an Alka-Seltzer…
More Ron’s advice to Americans….
“If it wasn’t for the help of the French, you donut-eating scumbags would be scarfing down steak and kidney pie instead.
More Ron’s attempt at correction of another…
“Kate = cheap-ass, trailer-trash crack whore. Hey, generalizations are always fun!”
More Ron’s Super Ego talking to More Ron…
How about you hold yourself accountable to the same level you hold others accountable Mr. shit for brains.
Hey, super ego…
Since I’m now apparently arguing with a 12-year-old, reach over into your 50 Cent “Get Rich or Try Dyin’ ” backpack and pull out that U.S. history book — it will be the dusty one; you never look in it because you and your donut-eating friends think hip-hop is more “cool” than knowing your own history — and look up what it says under “The Battle of Yorktown.” Report back to the class… we’ll wait.
An apology would be nice, but not expected. No sane person expects an apology from an ignorant ingrate.
More good news for Apple. Another reason for a decline in the stock price.
How is Steve Job’s health these days?
This one goes to 11.
In France, the Senate is useless! Only the deputies vote the laws!
So, You’re refusing to hold yourself to the same standard you set up for everyone else?
Let’s not change the subject and try and make this about history.
The post I’m interested in is are you able to hold yourself to the same standard that you hold others to. Or.. are you going to pretend to ignore it, call someone a 12 year old, use sarcasim, and ask for an apology.
The question remains…”How about you hold yourself accountable to the same level you hold others accountable Mr. shit for brains?”
Will everyone just S.T.F.U. and talk about what this article is about? Holy Hell, does every topic have to degenerate into a “FRANCE SUCKS/AMERICA SUCKS” argument!? Who the hell made you people experts on everything? France has problems, America has it’s own problems, BIG FREAKIN DEAL! That has nothing to do with the topic at hand!
Next thing you know, someone’s going to write a post to an article on French Champaigne claiming that such-and-sch label didn’t win top awards, because sheep in France have foul smelling hooves or the fact that cabbies in Chicago all pick their noses…
Christ, people. Stay on topic and leave the political/hate topics to the lefist blogs and political sites.
“An apology would be nice, but not expected. No sane person expects an apology from an ignorant ingrate.” – must be another frenchman living off a 200 year old achievement, thinking that everything he’s done in the past 100 years means nothing.
How about the FACT that France was bribed and bought-off with Oil For Food money (along w/ Germany, Russia and China) to stall UN sanctions and then, AND THEN, sold weapons (night vision, anti-aircraft artillary, etc.) to Saddam to use against us. And they wonder why we fscking hate them? The question should be: Why haven’t we bitch slapped France for assisting in the assualt on our troops? With friends like France who needs enemies?
super ego:
Technically speaking, I am holding myself to the same standard “kate” is. I said “generalizations are always fun!” and I have continued to paint with the same broad brush “kate” used.
I have also provided historical context to assert that the French have helped America (Revolutionary War) and paid tribute to it (Statue of Liberty).
You, super ego, have contributed nothing to this but anger, which is the hallmark of the Ameritard. Good jeorb.
As mentioned before: I like Americans. When they turn into hideous trolls like “kate” and yourself, it’s time to release the Hounds of Truth!
“This is the Colbearrr Reporrrrrrr!”
Ron, More, Ron, etc.
The American Revolution was the last time the French showed any backbone. Ever since Napolean shit the bed at Waterloo the only thing they’ve been known for is cheese, wine, the French New Wave, and bellyaching about everybody else. France is in a mess, their economy is wrecked, they’re people don’t work and all they can think to do is blame the Brits. Oh, and the Americans.
As for Lady Liberty? Just come on over and try to take it. She’s ours now and forever.
Oh – and Viet Nam? Do you remember your history? France started the whole thing. It had been a French colony. Remember Dien Bien Phu? And when you couldn’t take it any more, you got America to help you out. AND THEN YOU RAN! You left us with the crap you goofed up. That’s history. Remember it. Learn from it.
They should have taken the chance to do away with all proprietary DRM. If DRM must be used, all the companies should congregate around an open standard.
Down with proprietary DRM. It’s bad for the consumer.
Oh yeah, and how about the FACT that the same friggin thing is happening all over again with Iran? France has been bought off AGAIN along with Russia and China, the UN Security Council sticks it’s head up it ass and Iran pushes forward with it’s nuke weapons program. Thanks an butt load France for making the world a safer place!
Bill:
You’ve forgotten the 1980s so soon? Didn’t you jiust speak with your buddy Ollie North last week?
What was episode called again? Oh right: “Iran-Contra.” Arms for hostages. Sell guns to Iran to send money to undermine yet another foreign government. Two-for-one deal; another fine jaerb by the U.S. government!
And you schmucks are telling me that I’M the one who’s tough to get along with…
Nigel Tufnel: This one goes to 11.
Brilliant non-sequitur response, Nigel.
Brilliant.
More Ron/Charko – same person, look at the posts.
Coward and an ameriphobe.
Thankyou “tired of everything”, these rants that people go off on are getting very annoying and do nothing but bring out the worst in people.
DRM or no DRM, As long as apple continues to make $$ and isn’t hurt by the EU, I’m in favor of it. Go apple!