Filed under: Networking
In what appears to be a potentially disruptive move, French ISP Free has just opened up its network of 300,000 subscribers’ WiFi
Read - GigaOm
Read - Yannick Laclau
Read - Net Economie
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time
Filed under: Portable Audio
By all accounts we saw the French iPod law pass late last month, but it would appear it was still yet to undergo further revisions and last minute addendums before hitting the executive branch. Those additions to the law were approved by France's Constitutional Court late yesterday, providing for some interesting loopholes. Apparently the crux is still intact, as Apple's FairPlay could be pried open by its competitors, however, under the law a newly appointed French regulatory authority would keep watch over the process in both directions, providing "protection" for companies developing DRM technology (like Apple) by preventing open-source derivatives from existing in the marketplace. In other words, while Apple is legally mandated to open up its DRM to, say, Napster, any open-source FairPlay DRM projects could find their creators in the slammer for up to three years, and fined up to $375,000. Sure, it's still at heart pro consumer -- they don't want open source giving away the DRM shop -- but what happens to the open source DVD players already around, and other open source fair use software projects? Are French anti-DRM open source freedom fighters about to get locked up in a strange turn of events because of this law? In addition to this, fair use statues are also being molded by the law; apparently DRM may now be used to enforce certain aspects of fair use in home media, like creating x or y amount of backup copies of your media. However, there is a bright side: President Chirac has still yet to sign the law into existence, and France's Socialist Party is supposedly trying to push this into evaluation to determine whether it's even constitutional. Sorry kids, we're not through with this biz yet.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | CommentsFiled under: Portable Audio
After all sorts of protesting, name calling and backtracking, the French legislature has finally managed to pass their DRM law that could spell a bit of trouble for iTunes and other companies bent on locking down their own respective file formats. The language has been toned down a bit from the original draft, and we don’t have a new response from Apple or a hint of how this final version might be implemented, but the basic requirement of the bill is that Online music stores provide a method for users to play downloaded files on any device, as long as device manufacturers ask nicely. More recent revisions allowed some exceptions to this rule, including if the copyright holders weren’t willing to have the DRM opened up, but from the sounds of it there are industry types on both sides of the argument. Some are jumping at the chance to price DRMed songs independently of Apple
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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
It would appear that the watering down and corporate-sponsored evisceration of the French iPod law has ceased, as today the French legislation cemented the final wording of the law, which is to be put before the French Senate and National Assembly in a vote without debate. It sounds as though the bill has attracted some chaff along the way and lost some weight around its DRM waistline, so what the latest down version will actually mean for Apple
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Filed under: Portable Audio
As expected, the French Senate passed a controversial copyright bill on Wednesday -- and, also as expected, the bill dropped key provisions on DRM interoperability that were included in a previous version approved by the country's National Assembly. The earlier version had included language that would have required companies such as Apple Computer to open their proprietary DRM to consumers and competitors, so that music protected via one DRM scheme could be played on all digital audio players, regardless of manufacturer. The Senate's version of the bill pays lip service to the interoperability concept, but leaves enforcement up to a new government agency -- and exempts companies from the requirement as long as the original copyright holders agree to have their works protected by proprietary DRM. In Apple's case, that may mean renegotiating contracts with record companies to include such language. However, given that Steve Jobs recently managed to get the labels to back down on their demands that he offer flexible pricing, chances are he'll have no problem getting them to agree that Apple's FairPlay DRM is, well, fair play.Filed under: Portable Audio
After a month or so of heated debate, including France's Trade
Minister telling Apple: "I don't want the
crap," France's
DRM-killa legislation has lost most of its teeth in committee, after being passed by the National
Assembly. The new draft of the legislation switches out phrases like "copy in an open standard" for
"protected copy," puts restrictions on getting access to information needed for interoperability, and says
that DRM publishers don't have to publish source code if they can prove it harms that DRM's security. It sounds
basically like a whole bunch of wins for team Apple, a lot of lost ground for Mr. "I don't want the crap,"
and a possible overall loss for consumer rights in France. Turns out the bill has been hijacked by Universal/Vivendi
and they're having their way with it, but nothing has been passed into law yet, so we'll just have to wait and see how
this sorts out.Filed under: Portable Audio
French Trade Minister Christine Lagarde has hit back at Apple — and critics of France — in defending the country’s proposed law on digital audio interoperability. In comments to reporters while visiting San Francisco, Lagarde declared that when "a company restricts competition in … it gets the attention of regulating agencies. We have to play by the rules of the game." Of course, it can be argued that Apple hasn’t restricted competition, given the fact that there are a number of other companies operating online music stores and making digital audio players — and that France is attempting to change the rules midgame. Lagarde also had a message for those who have criticized French policies on the Apple issue and other recent developments: "I don’t want the crap," she said. "It annoys me when France is portrayed as an awkward, backward country. It is not." Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments