Comments on: Apple calls French law 'state-sponsored piracy'

Company attacks proposal that would force it to make iTunes songs playable on devices competing with the iPod.

[GlennAl]

C'est si bon...

Vive la revolution!

Actually, it would just mean an end to the tyranny of multiple proprietary formats for using something you already bought or want to buy. That's not piracy; it's enforced cooperation and a co-opting of monopolies.

Now, about those software patents...

[fear_and_loathing]

That's dumb!

If you get rid of the multiple proprietary formats, who's going to
decide what the one über format is going to be? the one format
that EVERYONE has to conform to.

Why bother creating anything different if you're going to be
forced to change your product to work with everyone elses?

If that's the case, why don't we force M$ and Apple to merge and
write Macdows OS XP? Then people like you would be happy.

[pauljfitzgerald]

Sounds eerily like...

...a demonstrator's sign I saw in a news story about the Islam-and-political-cartoon mess: "Freedom of Expression is Western Terrorism." Whose terrorism, and whose piracy, depends on your point of view, I guess.

"Piracy." Interesting word. Read up on the pirates of the eighteenth century. They were reacting to the oppressive practices of the world's big shipping companies. This tech age has its own lawless villans/folk heroes (Think Napster). Eventually they become part of the establishment. (Or, if they're pirates, part of a Disney franchise. Trademarked property, immortalized on a Burger King drink cup, or a box of cereal, maybe...)

Coming soon: Hackers Fruit Roll-Ups.

Other respondents are correct. This is about a monopoly and anti-competitive practices. I've stopped buying music for my iPod for that reason. When I can use the music I buy from Apple on someone else's hardware, and when they can guarantee that their future hardware will always support this format and DRM, I may start buying from Apple again. My last year's hot new iPod Mini is already obsolete. I'm waiting for the day when the newest version of iTunes that it keeps bugging me to download every month or so finally stops working with this old green belt decoration, or stops playing the mp3's I've ripped from CD's I bought. Which fortunately haven't included any Sony rootkit CD's.

I'm tired of all this.

Speaking of monopolies, I think it's funny that Microsoft Outlook keeps trying to change the spelling of "iPod" to "bipod."

[mcepat]

Name Calling

Apple calls French law 'state-sponsored piracy'

ok well

France calls Apple "Monopoly" first

APPLE+ITUNES+IPOD=M O N O P O L Y

MSN Music and Windows Media plays on hundreds and hundreds of players from different manufacturers which is great for competition and creates a level playing field for player manufacturers.

ITUNES plays on only on player?

Steve Jobs gets richer and richer and last time I checked none of his money goes to any great causes unless you count his next plasma for his bathroom

[J_Satch]

Who cares...

...what he does with his money? Has nothing to do with this. Apple has every right to protect their business model. And before you start, I say this as a Windows user.

[JJWhitney]

What are you talking about?

People seem to forget that Apple created this buisness when it looked like music as an industry was going the way of the dodo.

Your point about WMA proves how dumb this whole thing is, many services provide the same content in .mp3 or WMA for the same if not cheaper but people CHOOSE to use iTunes and CHOOSE to buy iPods.

This isnt about fairness or monopoly or even about users. This is about Asian/Euro companies peeved that an american company is dominating and is using the old stand by of bribery, I mean lobbying to get what they want.

The users have already voted and they don't want those crappy players or the crappy services that they use or make themselves.

[zarathustra911]

huh?

Playsforsure is Microsoft Windows only. Windows Media has
Windows even in the name. How is that not a monopoly?

If I buy a Playsforsure player and subscribe to Napster/Yahoo/MSN
can I keep and transfer the music after I buy a not Playsforsure
compatible player?

It's all the same. Just cause you dislike Apple pick on MS as well...

[Earl Benser]

Stuff it to the Frogs

Once more the French government assumes that they can control
the universe. And once more they are wrong, like they have been
wrong for 2000 years. It's time for Apple to say goodbye.

[OS11]

Incorrect, Apple is not the Bad Guy here.

SONY, MSN and others are all in the same boat, Apple just has the biggest and best boat. This french law (if it passes, which is unlikely) would effect EVERYONE that is trying to create a market for "LEGAL" downloads. Apple will gain greatly if this uninformed law is put into place. It will wipe out all the other players, since Apple will be the only game in town.

[taijitu]

It's HIS money ...

The money is HIS money. He has the right to contribute it or keep it in tin cans beneath his bed, if that is his wish.

What percentage of YOUR money to you contribute to great causes?

[fan4apple]

Microsoft is not a M O N O P O L Y?!?!?!?

What are you smoking? If Microsoft had not been so slow on the "fill the napster gap", we would all be using Diamond RIO's. Microsoft is trying to MONOPOLIZE, but their products stink. Just like the FRENCH!!!!!!!!!!

[mwa423]

How can iTunes be a monopoly?

When a company has a monopoly, they cannot have competition. Apple has direct competition from lots of other mp3 player makers and competition from all the other legal music stores (napster, rhapsody, yahoo, virgin, ruckus, etc. etc. etc.)

So, how exactally is that a monopoly?