French Lawmakers Approve "iTunes" Law

Lawmakers in France have approved a law that would require Apple to make its iTunes Music Store and iPod compatible with rival music players and online services. The decision could lead to Apple pulling both from the French market. Apple spends millions in research and development to create the iPod and iTunes, they should have every right to make both of them proprietary. This French law is a great example of anti free market ideals. I hope Apple refuses and pulls out of France alltogether.

Apple described the law as "state- sponsored piracy" when it passed the National Assembly in March, and U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said he supported the company's protest.

The driving rationale behind the law is the insistence on diversity that lies at the heart of French cultural policy. "It is our intention with this law to break the hold any one technology might hold over a cultural work. When I buy a song or video over the Internet, it should be like a CD or DVD and playable on any machine."

One positive about this French law... it would lower fines for illegal downloading of music on the internet, making them comparable to fines for minor traffic offenses. I can agree with that.