iPod Denmark taking French DRM line

[Queso]

There's an article over on Ars Technica stating that Denmark is wanting to adopt the French model of DRM interoperability.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060326-6463.html

I'm starting to think that this could be a good thing. If Apple are forced to license Fairplay to third parties, it doesn't stop the iPod being the best MP3 player on the market, doesn't stop iTunes being the easiest store to use, but does stop Microsoft's rival DRM format from becoming dominant by stealth.

 

[Temujin]

Got to love the danes

 

[whooleytoo]

I have to admit, I would prefer it if the industry had opted to use a common DRM standard, but since they haven't (and show no sign of doing so) I'm fully in favour of this move.

 

[Peterkro]

Hope this picks up more countries in support,I'm guessing the Poles may be next.

 

[gekko513]

Norway too. The Norwegian minister of culture, Trond Giske, says that the government wants to follow in the steps of the French and the Danes and make unreasonable DRM illegal.

 

[Demon Hunter]

I'm starting to think that this could be a good thing. If Apple are forced to license Fairplay to third parties, it doesn't stop the iPod being the best MP3 player on the market, doesn't stop iTunes being the easiest store to use, but does stop Microsoft's rival DRM format from becoming dominant by stealth.

But it also forces record companies to pull out. If this happens, entire catalogs of music will be taken off iTunes.

Not to mention, Apple's business model would be copied verbatim, and all of the iPod's past and future success would help competitors.

Damn liberals!

 

[Queso]

But it also forces record companies to pull out. If this happens, entire catalogs of music will be taken off iTunes.

Not necessarily. The French law doesn't call for no DRM, which would scare off the record companies, only that DRM doesn't force vendor lock in. If Apple license Fairplay to other stores & manufacturers, would you buy some compatible crappy $50 MP3/AAC player that's hard to use, or would you buy an iPod?

As for iTunes, it's so big now that I can't see anyone knocking it off it's perch. It's the Amazon of digi music.

 

[Temujin]

But it also forces record companies to pull out. If this happens, entire catalogs of music will be taken off iTunes.

Not to mention, Apple's business model would be copied verbatim, and all of the iPod's past and future success would help competitors.

Damn liberals!

I hope your joking. Who says the record companies are going to pull out. They found a profitable way to earn money. No covers, cd's, a larger group of consumers = more money. The DRM issue won't change that. They are still in it for the money.

Competition in the music industry = lower prices = <= me

 

[Counterfit]

This is probably good as far as iPod sales go. Not many other players support AAC, and the only two common formats the iPod doesn't support are WMA and OGG. Yes, I know it doesn't support FLAC, but how many people would want to use that on a portable player, especially a hard drive based one? The iPod's battery life would be reduced down to 2-3 hours.

 

[OCOTILLO]

I think this is about what you could expect from a bunch of socialists and crybabies.

 

[gekko513]

I think this is about what you could expect from a bunch of socialists and crybabies.

You talking to us?

We're watching you.

 

[whooleytoo]

I think this is about what you could expect from a bunch of socialists and crybabies.

Well, that's me convinced!

 

[gekko513]

If and when these laws go into effect, I wonder what would be required of Apple and Microsoft to be in compliance with the laws.

Maybe all that's needed is that both companies offer an application, à la Quicktime Pro, that can convert from one to the other. Maybe they can charge money for it and maybe they can even restrict its use to only the countries with such laws. The files do after all contain information about the location of the owner.

 

[iMeowbot]

But it also forces record companies to pull out.

on the contrary, the recording companies are the biggest proponents of interoperable DRM.

If this happens, entire catalogs of music will be taken off iTunes.

Apple admitted in their statement on the French situation that if the law passes, they would probably sell more iPods than ever.