French minister's response to Apple: "I don't want the crap."
By Marc Perton 
posted April 14th 2006 9:41AM
posted April 14th 2006 9:41AM
French Trade Minister Christine Lagarde has
hit back at Apple -- and critics of France -- in defending the country's proposed law on digital audio interoperability. In comments to reporters
while visiting San Francisco, Lagarde declared that when "a company
restricts competition ... it gets the attention of regulating agencies. We have to play by the rules of the game."
Of course, it can be argued that Apple hasn't restricted competition, given the fact that there are a number of other
companies operating online music stores and making digital audio players -- and that France is attempting to change the
rules mid-game. Lagarde also had a message for those who have criticized French policies on the Apple issue and other
recent developments: "I don't want the crap," she said.
"It annoys me when France is portrayed as an awkward, backward country. It is not." Touché.
France is stupid because it is sticking up to a big corporation trying to protect it's citizens?
Oh yes how backwards. I wish all countries would sell their soul to big foreign corporations like the US does. That is progressive! That is the cool thing to do!
This article is terrible! What is the law, what are they doing? So vague it hurts. And if there are no iPods in france, who cares?
All these Steve Jobs worshipers love to scream about Apple's so-called "right" to protect this and that... i
in truth, Apple has no "right" to anything - in the U.S. or anywhere else, that is not dictated by law. "Rights", particularly for corporations, are copletely imaginary constructs. If France says that Apple does not have the right to restrict use to a proprietary player, then they do not, if only in France. It's just that simple.
Personally, as a consumer I take great pleasure in Apple (or Micro$oft, or any other greedy, controlling corporation) being told "no" once in a while. Maybe you Jobs-heads should start thinking about yourselves and YOUR so-called "rights" for a change.
I am from FRANCE.
If you have EVER been here you know that we are NOT stinky, our ladies shave there armpits and we are very modern in life. We try with what we have here and we accept the people of the United States.
STOP living in the past of France did. Please, we are not wealthy people in work and we have our troubles. BUT we believe in FAIRNESS. We reject European Union constitution because it is not simply fair and this is bigger than DRM.
Itunes presents a DRM that limits its buyed songs from playing on other players. Is it fair? No, we in France say it is not because we see this as a future lock if Apple ever leaves the music player business. Where will you then play your DRM music?
See my point here:
Say if your digital photos had a DRM with Apple? Would it be fair if after 10 years you could never view them because the ipod never exists?
We want to view our digital files, play our digital music in the future.
Just not use itunes music store? Why? we all know its good and convienant but in the future how "convienant" will your DRM'd files be if there is no itunes? Scary if you think of it really. You could be screwed more than the Napster selling way (yes its more moneys)
So, Apple knows long ago this might pose problem, it is up to US the CRAZY SMELLY French persons to try and look out for the consumer in the long run of it all.
The people ALWAYS come first here and will NOT be restricted to companies and the chains they put on. USA can have it's chains, and you may say "right Frenchy person" but don't forget we will get the key to these chains soon. We will be playing our music in 50 years bought from itunes...will you?
Peace.
I'm a Frenchman and feel absolutely horrified by the type of comments some of the readers have posted: insults (#41), low level sarcastic lines referring to body hygiene, generalisation of the French so called arrogant attitude just to name a few. I just can't believe it... This references show me a blatant racism and show the total narrow-mindedness of some people. Some of you are judging a whole Nation after events generated by a minority...
This is about a government wishing to lower barriers to entry to increase competition and as a consequence benefit the end-user. This is a true challenge for Apple and is part of their business. THEY'LL DEAL WITH IT. However, some of you turned this discussion into your personal diary reflecting your true thoughts about other cultures and people, again, based on a minority of individuals' ideas and actions. This may make you feel better, but I for one believe that this kind of non-constructive rant IS backward and totally awkward.
Regards from Scotland.
France is just trying to get in the market ..America is too dominant in our country you need to shut up !! We the French need to stop the American invasion...YOU Americans with your McDonald and your Microsoft and your apple...those products are hurting the France pocket... American companies are all monopolies...How many French products do you Americans use? none so shut up about it ...we need to keep American business from taking over France just like we stop Microsoft by forcing them to not bundle their software with crap like wm..ect..So that French businesses can make money too. ...that is why we are doing this...Americans want to rule the world ...Stop the Americans I say... watch out McDonald we are coming for you next...
j/k
What's with the 'France is a third world country' crap?
France is the world's fifth largest economy and also represents the fifth largest foriegn invester in the US.
Apple refuse to comply with France? France get their buddies Germany and vote to impose restrictions on their trade unless they comply. The EU has a combined GDP almost equal to the US'. That's a market Apple can't afford to lose.
France have a huge say voice in a fincancial superpower and their economy isn't to be sniffed at either. To those saying their a third world country : go back to your freedom fries.
Between the french haters and the apple fan boys, I dont think we will get much of a debate on this subject. If only some you decided to try and see through the propaganda and/or marketing hype and see the simple reality of it all: this is good for you, the consumer.
But while wallow in your masturbatory steve jobs fantasies, let me just laugh ahead of the day you decide to use any other device than an ipod, and spend your days burning your itunes purchased library back to CD and back again to MP3 just to be able to listen to it.
Just try to imagine for a second a CD that only worked on one or two HI-FI brands and you will get the picture.
This topic is all about french bashing it's funny.. but it's not cool...live the french alone...They can do what the hell they want!!!! remenber it's there country.....not your...America...
France is just dumb. This law was aimed directly at America. France has always been a weak nation. We had to bail them out twice in the world wars. In a nutshell, they can't compete. That's why the only way for them to weaken dominant foreign companies is to use dirty tactics such as the one proposed.
What they're proposing is like saying that if I buy Call of Duty 2 for my X-Box 360 that it should also work on the PS3 and on the Revolution. Sure, the consumers would LOVE that but does that sound reasonable to you? These different companies are after all allowed to make their own proprietary systems. Why should the government restrict that?
How about this, we can do something here in the U.S. that would let the French know how stupid they are: Congress should enact a law that says that in order for French wineries to sell in the U.S., French wineries should allow any wineries in the U.S. to buy any French grape vines and soil so that we can grow the same grapes. After all, the consumers benefit because we can now sell essentially the same product at lower prices. Two can play that game...
To #109: JCC, your example is an extremely poor one and obviously not thought out. First of all there is a vast world of difference between very difference devices with different capabilities and now input and/or output mechanisms, and a bunch of devices which all basically process the exact same information: music.
Secondly, the example is not even relevant because you would have to imagine that these games could all potentially be played on any machine, but you are forced to purchase all the games from the same store that sold you the machine you ended up choosing - effectively killing off any potential for competition.
Lets add another bit to the puzzle:
When Toshiba, Pioneer, Sony and co tried to introduce their competing mediums for video and large storage in the early nineties, Apple allied themselves with a number of other companies like microsoft to collectively sign a document stating that they would not support the dual specifications. This effectively forced everybody to come together and create the DVD specification.
10 years later, and Apple basically turns around because this time, well, it benefits them: how convenient.
It's called a brain JCC, use it. Your nonsensical suggestions just show that you barely have the mental capacity to comprehend when something is actually good for you.
Let me tell you from the inside as I am french.
How can you all tell things whithout knowing everything.
1. Especially those talking of 'riots' about a work contract. A contract that was not a good idea from our government but strike was not a good idea also. And the riots was the fact of a minority of stupid guys stealing and breaking everything they see. That is of course all the world medias showed of this. "Mouton de Panurge" !
2. Cowards. May be some refer to Irak. Or may be I am wrong. Please explain to me.
3. Now concerning Ipod and Apple. I have to say that the government is trying to vote for liberty restrictions. What is going on now in France is not a good thing. Try to get true and complete information. The Apple story is only emerged part of the iceberg. There is a lot more of amendments (or laws if you prefer) that are to be voted and is attacking p2p, open source software and all creation liberties. You dont know how it is going to end. We french are may be cowards to you but we are defending our rights. Dont focuse on apple. Search more. Our Ministre de la Culture, Renaud Donnedieu is a fool trying to make his way to history. A real ass hole that is obeying to music lobbies. This is no good !
I made an effort with english spoken because I am open to others not just seeing what my country wants to show me. I search other points of view. So please cut the crap with your I dont like the F*****G french !
Well Yawn, that's your opinion which is not at all factual. A video game is the same as any other media, i.e.. movie, musicetc. If you don't know that it's you who needs to go get a brain. You should also figure out that the French law was tailored specifically to combat a dominate U.S. company. They used the ruse that it was better for the consumer but it's really better for French companies like Archos who make lousy media players. Again, you need a brain to be able to figure that out. I bet it's people like you who also believed Bush when he said that he wanted regime change in Iraq because he cared about the Iraqi people.
The idea that music sold by different manufacturers should be interoperable is about as dumb as someone who wants games that they buy from different device makers to be interoperable.
Like it has been stated before, you can always buy CDs to rip into MP3 which would be interoperable. Apple doesn't force anyone to buy music directly from them. It doesn't get any fairer than that. In fact, I buy all of my music on CD which means I can choose to not use iPod anytime I want. I can just move my MP3's to another device. What's anti-competitive about that?
I bet if it were Archos who had the market lead they would have NEVER even contemplated this law.
Oh, and another thing. You example of the DVD specification compromise? Did any country use their legislature to force them to do that? No. The market decided that. What about Beta vs. VHS? Again, the market.
Only a country as backwards as France would decide that legislating the market would be better than letting the market decide for themselves. If you don't like something you can always vote with your wallet.
Good for him !!! Apple Ipod/Itunes is very restrictive and tedious. I agree with him. You should be able to buy a major product without being restricted to using their crap only forever. You don't have to buy a specfic gasoline for your car or a specific cable company for your t.v. It's ridiculous. American's love to pick on the French because the talk show radio/t.v. hosts tell them it's the right thing to do at the moment and it gives them someone to blame for our suck-ass government. Nobody here thinks out of the box - ever.
Having visited France four times, and being married to a french woman, I'm afraid you all miss the point.
France, before and after McDonalds restaurants appeared on the scene, and before and after the dumbheaded "freedom fries" of the obtuse Americans, is a place that all of us can only dream about.
And, I'm not just talking about the food, the women, the scenery, the culture, the intellect, the beauty.
Time to stop being idiots and smell the cafe au lait people.
It is amazingly "french" of her to speak with all the grace of a frog on ice skates about issues she is not qualified to comment on. I think the anus from Sweden should be quiet. Everytime he opens his mouth, he removes all doubt of his complete ignorance. America has given more money and aid to all other countries than anyone. I wish that America would withhold all monies and aid to the entire world, maybe then you could comment on the United States, you useless piece of humanity shaped like a penis.