In a move that could completely change online music stores,
the
French are due to vote on a bill that would free propriety copy protection
formats. At the moment if you buy a song on iTunes you are expected to only
play it on your iPod or through iTunes, moves from companies like Real to allow
songs purchased from iTunes to be played on Real Player have been blocked by
Apple. After the vote by the parliament, the bill would still need to be
approved by France's upper house, the Senate, a process that could take weeks.
The French proposal would let music fans download music to their iPods from services other than iTunes or to rival players from the French iTunes store. It could force Apple into choosing between making its service compatible with rival players or shutting down its online store in France. Apple has so far declined to comment on the bill, which would also affect how its rivals run their music services.