Apple, Sony in French lawsuits
p2pnet.net News:- Because Apple and Sony’s respective music download sites have been, “deceitful and have forced consumers to buy products because they are tied together,” France’s Union Federale des Consommateurs-Que Choisir is suing them.
It’s filed against Sony France and Sony United Kingdom, Apple’s French unit and its iTunes Music Store, says CNET News, also saying Apple’s case will be heard in a Court of First Instance in Paris, and Sony’s will be held in a Nanterre court later this year.
The companies’ DRM applications stop songs bought from their online music shops from being played on other manufacturers’ media players, limiting consumers’ choice,” says UFC-Que Choisir.
It conducted interoperability tests last year between a selection of download services and digital music players and, “The group criticized the two companies’ lack of interoperable DRM,” states CNET, going on to quote it as saying:
“The total absence of interoperability between DRM removes not only consumers’ power to independently choose their purchase and where they buy it from but also constitutes a significant restraint on the free circulation of creative works.”
But, adds CNET, “Despite railing against Microsoft’s similar locked-down stance on interoperability during its compatibility testing and indicating that the company was in its legal sights, UFC-Que Choisir has not filed suit against the Redmond, Wash.-based software behemoth.”
Something you think we should know? tips[at]p2pnet.net
=================
See:-
deceitful – Apple, Sony sued over DRM in France, CNETÂ News, February 13, 2005
February 15th, 2005 at 12:54 pm
what a crock! sueing apple and sony over a lack of interoperability because of DRM is like sueing weapons manufacturers because their weapons’ purpose is to kill people.
To make a concise technical explanation of the purpose of DRM: DRM can be DEFINED as intentional incompatibility.
That’s how it works!, that’s the only way it can work in an internet that is unregulated. You can’t pass laws protecting that kind of system then sue people for implementing it. You either repeal the law because (let’s face it) it’s unfair to consumers and open source developers, or you strictly regulate all DRM and place it under government jurisdiction to prevent it’s inevitable and continual use to surpress and lock out competition.
February 15th, 2005 at 7:54 pm
“sueing weapons manufacturers because their weapons’ purpose is to kill people”
Now that is a good idea!
P.S. I don’t get what you mean in the subject line?