The French Senate appears to be softening plans that would have
forced Apple and others offering copy-protected music downloads to
open up their services so that music can be made interoperable with
other music players, reports Associated Press.
Apple has always refused to share its digital rights management
(DRM) software, known as FairPlay. Music downloaded from Apple
iTunes will only play on a computer or an Apple iPod. It will not
play on a rival portable music player. Microsoft and Sony do the
same with their proprietary formats.
The French National Assembly approved a copyright bill in March
which would make the separate systems interoperable with each
other, by forcing the firms to make their DRM software available
for scrutiny by competitors.
The lawmakers' motive was greater competition and consumer
choice. But Apple called it "state-sponsored piracy," fearing it
would reduce the effectiveness of copy-protection systems and of
copyright itself.
Associated Press reports today that an amendment has been
proposed by the Senate Cultural Affairs Committee that would allow
Apple to maintain the exclusive link between iTunes and the iPod.
But it appears that Apple would need to negotiate authorisation
from record labels and artists to circumvent the requirement for
interoperability in future downloads of their music.
