FRENCH COURT MODERATES NEW COPYRIGHT LAW

Photo from Tokyo #3

Bad(dish) news for Apple

PC Pro reports that part of France’s new copyright law has been ruled unconstitutional by the French Constitutional Court. Apple will be forced to license the DRM technology that it uses to restrict playback of iTunes Music Store downloads to its iTunes software and range of iPod portable music players, but those who benefit will have to pay a licence fee. However, consumers don’t benefit entirely, because the court has overturned a provision which states that the maximum fine for file sharing is 38 euros.

The IPKat can’t help but think that someone’s being made an example of somewhere.