Get Better Gear!
- Kensington Windshield/Vent Car Mount with Sound Amplified Cradle for iPhone from Kensington, $39.99
- SigFx Energy iPhone Case Contains Smart Battery from SigFx Energy, US$69.95
- NAVIGON AG - True GPS Software for the iPhone from NAVIGON Inc., 89.99
- Tweetie 2 from atebits, $2.99
- Snood: Flawed Casual Play from Electronic Arts, US$3.99
Top 5 Free Apps
iTunes New Music Releases
Top 5 Paid Apps
Discover New Music
- Brother Love
- Killer grooves, catchy riffs, edgy vocals with oh-so-just-right layered harmonies, and a drive that will move even YOU out of your chair, Brother Love's initial release is what rock and roll should be
Music Has The Right To Children
- Boards of Canada
- This one will haunt you. From the first notes to the last, their sound surrounds you. BOC has put out a fantastic catalogue, and this album is a great starting point for a new listener. Jump straight
- Tegan and Sara
So Jealous is the third album from these sisters, and easily the one to single out for an introduction to their music. Some people may not get on board with their vocal styles, which are slightly
An Evening with George Shearing & Mel Torm�
- Mel Torm� & George Shearing
- Of the three men who taught me how to sing, the last was Mel Torme. Apparently, Mel Torme is a joke to anyone more than a decade older than me, a living parody of a Vegas crooner. But I stumbled on th
- Nine Inch Nails
In the sprawling post-A&R rock and roll world, there are two camps: the Beatles and the Stones. The Beatles are the artists that like to explore, evolve, and change styles. The Stones are the artis
Reader Specials
Visit Deals On The Web for the best deals on all consumer electronics, iPods, and more!
News
Minister: French iPod Law "Courageous" and "Forward Thinking"
Friday, April 28th, 2006 at 3:00 PM - by Bryan Chaffin
Donnedieu de Vabres, the French Minister of Culture responsible for legislation that would require Apple and other manufacturers to make music downloads playable on any and every device has defended the legislation as both "courageous" and "forward thinking," according to an International Herald Tribune report.
The law would require downloads from Apple's iTunes Music Store and other download services to be playable on any computer or other music-playing device, and through other applications than the ones designated by the download service. In other words, iTunes downloads would have to be playable on players from Samsung, Creative, and other competitors, and playable through Windows Media Player, MusicMatch, and other jukebox programs. At the same times, iTunes and iPod would have to support Sony's proprietary format, Windows Media, Real's Rhapsody format, and other DRM schemes.
Despite criticism from Apple and many observers, Mssr. de Vabres said that France will push ahead with the legislation, which was passed earlier this year. In its only official statement regarding the law, Apple said it would result in state-sponsored piracy. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez has publicly supported Apple's protest.
Apple has been credited with bringing legitimacy to the online music download concept, and for reinvigorating the music industry through the success of both the iPod and iTunes. This, in turn, has led to a revitalization of Apple itself, transforming the company from a US$7 billion company to a $13+ billion company.
Analysts and pundits alike have said that tying iPod and iTunes together is a key aspect of the company's ability to maintain its lead in the music download and player business. Requiring Apple to open them up would therefore be a major challenge to Apple's preeminence in these markets, with France dictating business practices to every company involved.
According to Mssr. de Vabres, however, France's efforts to do this shouldn't be interpreted as him being out to get Apple.
"I have absolutely nothing against iTunes, and this is not some payback or protectionism against a foreign company," Mssr. de Vabres told the newspaper. "We are simply defining a fundamental value and principle that I believe will be demanded by Internet users and consumers."
That principal, according to Mssr. de Vabres, is one of interoperability. He told the Herald Tribune that music downloads should be just as portable as DVDs or CDs that can be played on any DVD or CD device.
"I do have an iPod and why not? It has brought immense progress to accessing music on the Internet," Mssr. de Vabres said. He followed that up by stating that "a technology - even one of great quality, success and usefulness - should not control access to a work."
Recent Headlines
- Apple TV 3.0.1 Update Fixes Missing Content Bug
- Taiwan Leak Shows Verizon UTMS/CDMA iPhone for Q3 2010
- iPhone Moves Into RadioShack
- Dictionary, Dictionary, Dictionary, And More
- The Latest App Store Games: Gravity Sling, RocketBird, Ground Effect, Checkers!
- iPhone Game Developer Sued for Collecting User’s Cell Numbers
- Apple May Be Bringing RFID to the iPhone
















Post Your Comments