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# EFF this, I'm moving to France
- URL: https://www.chrismessina.me/blog/eff-this-im-moving-to-france/
- Published: 2006-03-14T14:48:26.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-25T03:34:51.000Z
- Author: Chris Messina
- Tags: Civil liberties, Open source, Social justice, Technology, efftheriaa, itunes, apple, france, drm

[](http://flickr.com/photos/25419820@N00/78615479?ref=chrismessina.me)

> PARIS (Reuters) - France is pushing through a law that would force Apple Computer Inc to open its iTunes online music store and enable consumers to download songs onto devices other than the computer maker's popular iPod player.  
>  
> Under a draft law expected to be voted in parliament on Thursday, consumers would be able to legally use software that converts digital content into any format.  
>  
> It would no longer be illegal to crack digital rights management -- the codes that protect music, films and other content -- if it is to enable to the conversion from one format to another, said Christian Vanneste, Rapporteur, a senior parliamentarian who helps guide law in France.

[French plan would open iTunes to other devices](http://today.reuters.com/sponsoredby/amex/article.aspx?type=innovationNews&storyID=2006-03-13T184438Z%5F01%5FL10436201%5FRTRUKOC%5F0%5FUS-MEDIA-FRANCE-COPYRIGHTS.xml&ref=chrismessina.me) \-- by Astrid Wendlandt

There's been a lot of interesting discussion related to DRM and [Creative Commons](http://creativecommons.org/?ref=chrismessina.me) (especially this morning's [*Commons-based Business Models*](http://2006.sxsw.com/interactive/programming/panels/?action=show&id=IAP060082&ref=chrismessina.me) panel). If France moves forward with this kind of law, I think it's only going to make this situation better, more open, more transparent and actually... better for Apple.

While perhaps not hugely impactful over the long term (in a globalized world, one country's laws really don't make a massive difference in WTO-scheme of things), setting the example (especially given the [path to darkness](http://www.fsffrance.org/news/article2005-11-25.en.html?ref=chrismessina.me) France was previously on) will be tremendously didactic for the various and soon-to-be-obsolete DRM industries (ok, "soon" as in 5 to 12 years).

technorati tags: [efftheriaa](http://technorati.com/tag/efftheriaa?ref=chrismessina.me), [itunes](http://technorati.com/tag/itunes?ref=chrismessina.me), [apple](http://technorati.com/tag/apple?ref=chrismessina.me), [france](http://technorati.com/tag/france?ref=chrismessina.me), [drm](http://technorati.com/tag/drm?ref=chrismessina.me)

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### 💬 Comments from the original post

**[Killeroid](http://killeroid.wordpress.com/?ref=chrismessina.me)** · 2006-03-15 02:49:59

We just hope that other countries will follow the lead of France.