Apple Rips Into France

[news=http://www.slyck.com/newspics/frenchp2p.gif]Fire and brimstone will soon fall apon the music industry. Piracy will achieve levels never before seen. People will find ways to install pirated music and movies on their iPods. P2P and file-sharing networks will soon overtake authorized downloads, leaving the authorized music business in financial ruin.

So predicts Apple Computers, whose iTunes music store was the main focus of a controversial new French copyright reform bill. The copyright reform bill, which passed the National Assembly (lower house) yesterday, is now on its way to the Senate. There, it’s expected the Senate will approve the bill, which will then become law if signed by President Jacque Chirac.

The doom and gloom scenario portrayed by Apple was articulated in a brief press release issued by the electronics giant. Although the bill contains over 400 reforms, the most significant is the amendment which forces Apple to open its proprietary FairPlay DRM scheme. In the release, Apple stated the bill equated state sponsored piracy.

"The French implementation of the EU Copyright Directive will result in state-sponsored piracy. If this happens, legal music sales will plummet just when legitimate alternatives to piracy are winning over customers."

Since when is Apple so concerned about music sales other than its own? The funny thing of course is legitimate alternatives aren't truly winning over customers. However, a legitimate alternative is winning over customers - that of course being the iTunes music store. With over 80% of the market share, iTunes has been the singular driving force in the authorized music business.

While the music industry is content in the fact there is a viable market for such downloads, Apple's dominance is leaving little room for alternative distributors to prosper. Napster and Rhapsody, with a combined market share of less than 15%, have struggled because of their inability to allure iPod users.

Alternative services such as Napster and Rhapsody use Microsoft's WMA DRM scheme, which is not compatible with the iPod. Conversely, files from iTunes (FairPlay AAC) are only compatible with the iPod. Because of the iPod's dominance in the MP3 player market, owners of this unit can only participate on iTunes - or free P2P/file-sharing services. This blatant duality weakens the latter portion of Apple's statement.

"iPod sales will likely increase as users freely load their iPods with `interoperable' music, which cannot be adequately protected," but it further warned, "Free movies for iPods should not be far behind in what will rapidly become a state-sponsored culture of piracy."

iPod owners have been freely loading their players with "interoperable" and "inadequately protected" music since day one. The same can be said for movies, as torrent sites and newsgroups specifically designed for iPod functionality continue to prosper.

The French reform bill will do little encourage an already encouraged buccaneer populace. Apple is furious of course at the prospect of loosing their iron-grip monopoly on the authorized music market. If the bill becomes law and is adopted throughout Europe, alternative stores will finally have a level playing field.

As admitted in their press release, piracy helps fuel iPod sales, which in turn helps the iTunes music store. It appears Apple isn't so concerned about piracy as they are about watching thier own sales decrease while the competition thrives.

:source: Source: http://www.slyck.com/news.php?story=1134[/news]

What a bullshit law. I love this statement.

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If the bill becomes law and is adopted throughout Europe, alternative stores will finally have a level playing field.

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People have the option of NOT buying an iPod. Apple does not have to give in just 'cause everyone wants an iPod. This is a prime example of not allowing market forces to do it's job. Maybe a surge in sales of the iRiver or Zen would make Apple change their iTune.

Instead we have state sponsored piracy.:ermm:

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Originally Posted by Busyman

Instead we have state sponsored piracy.:ermm:

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Works for me :)

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Originally Posted by Barbarossa

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Originally Posted by Busyman

Instead we have state sponsored piracy.:ermm:

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Works for me :)

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You live in France?:unsure:

I meant in general. The state should sponsor piracy.

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Originally Posted by Barbarossa

I meant in general. The state should sponsor piracy.

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Mad talk.

I wonder if apple will kick up a stink since most of the major studios are using drm on a download movies service that will exclude apple and allow it only to run on windows.

drm that locks a consumer into using a specific companies products should be illegal to prevent monopolistic behaviour.

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Originally Posted by 4play

I wonder if apple will kick up a stink since most of the major studios are using drm on a download movies service that will exclude apple and allow it only to run on windows.

drm that locks a consumer into using a specific companies products should be illegal to prevent monopolistic behaviour.

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I totally disagree. That's like saying that all Xbox games should be able to run on PS2 or programs in Windows should run on OS X.:dry:

Movies on PSP anyone?

Can a song from iTunes be converted to a mp3?

I have seen plenty of games that are available on the xbox, ps2 and pc. the only reason its not one disc fits all is because of difference in the actual hardware.

You cant tell me its not possible for apple to allow other people to use fairplay drm on their players so they can play songs downloaded from itunes. They use the drm to lock people into using only their products which screams anti competitive in my books.

To carry on with the console analogy what would happen if 3rd party hardware(think cheap controllers) was purposely blocked from working. In years gone by you could reverse engineer the xbox controller and come up with your own and sell it (thats exactly how the mighty pc became cheap and plentyful). The DMCA has made this pretty much illegal so companies can now put into place really flimsy encryption and gouge the customers as much as they want with no threat of competition.

What would happen if in 6 months when there is millions of xbox360's out there and microsoft decided it was gonna charge $300 for a new controller. same principle with ipods. What happens if they stop supporting fairplay in their new players and you have $3000 worth of music. The batteries on ipods dont last forever so your pretty much screwed.

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Originally Posted by 4play

I have seen plenty of games that are available on the xbox, ps2 and pc. the only reason its not one disc fits all is because of difference in the actual hardware.

You cant tell me its not possible for apple to allow other people to use fairplay drm on their players so they can play songs downloaded from itunes. They use the drm to lock people into using only their products which screams anti competitive in my books.

To carry on with the console analogy what would happen if 3rd party hardware(think cheap controllers) was purposely blocked from working. In years gone by you could reverse engineer the xbox controller and come up with your own and sell it (thats exactly how the mighty pc became cheap and plentyful). The DMCA has made this pretty much illegal so companies can now put into place really flimsy encryption and gouge the customers as much as they want with no threat of competition.

What would happen if in 6 months when there is millions of xbox360's out there and microsoft decided it was gonna charge $300 for a new controller. same principle with ipods. What happens if they stop supporting fairplay in their new players and you have $3000 worth of music. The batteries on ipods dont last forever so your pretty much screwed.

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People can always either NOT but an iPod or only play mp3s on the thing (which is what all the folks I know do). That's that market force thing I was talking about.

However, don't complain that your forced to use iTunes when it was that from the jump.

Oh and your console doohicky about games being on all systems. Don't the software companies enter into an agreement with the hardware company? Doesn't that software agreements with multiple hardware companies?

The ones that don't like say Tecmo, only release Ninja Gaiden for the Xbox.

Sounds simple doesn't?

If Microsoft wanted to, they could make all the games themselves and not allow third party support (kinda like Nintendo:lol: ). Is that anti-competitive?

They don't 'cause it's not good for business. Why? No one would want their system.

Sounds people bought the iPod anyway. it does play mp3s, right?

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Originally Posted by Busyman

Sounds people bought the iPod anyway. it does play mp3s, right?

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But they dont sell mp3's they sell aac that can only be played on an ipod. Im never buying an ipod or a song off itunes anyway but the uninformed people that have are now forced to buy an apple product again to play their music when their ipod breaks or becomes obsolete.

Do you know of many legal places to buy music online that will work on all mp3 players? what happens when you get that drm protected cd home and you want to rip it for your ipod.

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Originally Posted by 4play

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Originally Posted by Busyman

Sounds people bought the iPod anyway. it does play mp3s, right?

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But they dont sell mp3's they sell aac that can only be played on an ipod. Im never buying an ipod or a song off itunes anyway but the uninformed people that have are now forced to buy an apple product again to play their music when their ipod breaks or becomes obsolete.

Do you know of many legal places to buy music online that will work on all mp3 players? what happens when you get that drm protected cd home and you want to rip it for your ipod.

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Can't AACs be converted to mp3s?

If purchased iTunes music can't be converted, it sounds like a disclaimer should be made or....people should stop buying iPod......or people should stop purchasing music from iTunes.

I can't be mad at Apple for having a semi-closed format. That's nothing new.
That's like when I got pissed way back video tapes started using Macrovision so I couldn't copy. I didn't complain and say it was unfair that the movie comapny used it.:ermm:

:dabs:


the solution is to boycott apple

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Originally Posted by Busyman

Can't AACs be converted to mp3s?

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yes they can but the drm they use that makes it illegal to do so. I believe dvd jon came up with a simple tool to do it.

the solution is to pass laws like this that prevent companies abusing the laws to prevent competition.

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Originally Posted by 4play

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Originally Posted by Busyman

Can't AACs be converted to mp3s?

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yes they can but the drm they use that makes it illegal to do so. I believe dvd jon came up with a simple tool to do it.

the solution is to pass laws like this that prevent companies abusing the laws to prevent competition.

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You don't get it.

Make the market work. Don't buy an iPod. How can you say they prevent competition when their product was that from jump street?:blink:

Also when I first heard of the iPod, I knew it as an mp3 player. Don't buy music from iTunes and only use mp3s.

I don't know what the confusion is. I wouldn't download a Mac program then complain afterwards that I can't install it in Windows.:blink:

Ya don't pass laws for shit like that. Let the market work and stop interfering.