iTunes will no longer be a monopoly in France

French lawmakers finally decided to force Apple to open an iTunes music store for non-iPod music players if they didn't want to close it.

iPod advertising in Paris, France. Photo: Reuters . Yesterday, both the Senate and the French parliament voted for the country's digital music law. According to many analysts, the new French law will be able to shut down Apple Computer's iTunes here, and also make its iPod music player lose a 'gut' market.

Currently, songs on iTunes can only be heard on iPods, and iPods cannot read music files from other music stores such as Sony's Connect or Napster. Thus, the iPod and iTunes are closed music systems, and it brings success to Apple until today.

Earlier this year, Apple described the draft French law as a "government-sponsored" law, but has not commented on yesterday's vote yet.

In a statement after French lawmakers decided the voting time for this measure, Apple hoped that this would be determined by the user's choice: Which music player and music store is preferred. like most. Since then, the iPod and iTunes have had a big impact on the musical tastes of the French youth.

However, yesterday's voting results show that the iPod may have to disappear from the country if it does not want to widely use the music format and technology used in iTunes so that users of all types of music players will have it. downloadable.

French voting results may affect the decision of other European countries, which also want to force Apple to open iTunes in their countries.

Thanh Van