Paris acts to open up online sales of music - Technology - International Herald Tribune
French lawmakers on Tuesday approved copyright legislation with a novel approach to the idea of digital freedom of choice by requiring online music vendors to make songs available for use on any digital player. The measure, which also addresses penalties for digital music pirates, was passed by a 296-to-193 vote in the 577- member National Assembly. It will now move from the lower house to the Senate for debate and a vote. Representatives in France of Apple Computer, which sells the market-leading iPod digital music player and operates the iTunes Music Store, declined to comment on the bill, despite speculation among some analysts that the company, based in Cupertino, California, might bolt from the French online music market rather than share the proprietary technology that is an elemental part of its popular business model. While the iPod would be the device most prominently affected by the legislation, others, like Sony's Walkman digital music players, operate on a similar principle. In a country where anti-piracy devices on DVDs have come under repeated attack in French courts, the bill seeks to require copyright protection software programs that can communicate in such a way that music downloads can be transferred to any device. The bill also introduces relatively lenient penalties for digital piracy by individuals, with proposed fines of €38 to €150, or $46 to $181.
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