Apple says new French law smacks of state-sponsored piracy
03.22.06 (4:32 am) [edit]Leave it to the French... Apple says proposed French law smacks of piracy Reuters Tuesday, March 21, 2006; 8:59 PM
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Computer Inc.
"The French implementation of the EU Copyright Directive will result in state-sponsored piracy," said Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris. "If this happens, legal music sales will plummet just when legitimate alternatives to piracy are winning over customers."
The National Assembly, France's lower house of parliament, passed the law on Tuesday, which French officials said is aimed at preventing any one company from building a grip on the digital online music retail market.
The new legislation would require that online music retailers provide the digital rights management software that protects copyright material to allow the conversion of music in one format to another.
But Apple said the law, which it opposes, would likely actually increase its sales of iPod music players. "iPod sales will likely increase as users freely upload their iPods with 'interoperable' music which cannot be adequately protected," Kerris said. "Free movies for iPods should not be far behind."
posted by: therealspartacus007 (reply)
post date: 03.22.06 (5:56 am)
Regardless of whether free songs and movies would boost iPod sales or not, the artists and production groups that own the copyright to the results of their labor and talent should be the ones who decide how it is released, not a bunch of French pirates.