I have just been reading about the French politicians voting to approve a bill forcing the likes of Apple, Sony, and Microsoft to open their digital media formats to third parties - so that they may compete with hardware sales.
So let me get this right (I’ll use Apple as the example here) - Apple create a multimedia device, and set up their own online store to sell media for it. People choose to buy their hardware (the iPod), and choose therefore to use the Apple online store to download movies and music.
The French politicians have effectively said “that’s not fair”. How the hell is that not fair? Apple took the risk on making the hardware. They also took the risk of running the store that sells media for their hardware. They worked very hard, and continue to work hard in order to make their products a success. Why should they now have their success taken from them?
Many people will cry foul about Apple selling media files with “digital rights management” (DRM) installed. Remember - people don’t have to buy media files protected with DRM. It’s a matter of choice again. At the end of the day, DRM is the most simple way of ensuring the artists receive their royalties. If the file formats are opened up, it will take only days for software to arrive that strips all the protection - the end result of this is the death of the music industry as we know it (as persuasive as the argument is that people like to own a physical item - be that a CD, DVD or whatever, the biggest buyers of music are teens - and they will think all their christmases have come at once if free music and video files land in their lap).
Why might the French government be getting involved in this? Perhaps I’m just turning into an old cynic, but it stinks of the various rivals of Apple, Microsoft and Sony buying influence in the French government and “wagging the dog”.
The obvious result of the bill being passed is Apple, Microsoft and Sony’s media divisions pulling out of France. This would effectively mean no more (legal) digital media for the people of France. And it will be their own politician’s fault.
I never thought I would find myself defending digital rights management…