Love the Tidbits piece Solveig directed us to on the French legislation to mandate interoperability. This passage in particular struck me:

Let's go one step further. As long as we're on the subject, what about razor blades? That was the first example of vendor lock-in, which this law is hoping to eliminate. Can I get Schick to translate my blades to work on a Gillette? And when I need new parts for my Saab, can I require Renault to make theirs work for me?

The real point of all this is that the French members of parliament are clueless about technology in general and digital technology in particular. They're opening up a huge can of worms in suggesting that interoperability should be guaranteed. While in principle interoperability is a good thing, in practice it is an absolute principle. You cannot expect it to work in one area without it applying in all areas. Why single out only music?

posted by Patrick Ross @ 12:29 PM | DRM & Watermarks, etc., International, Legislation and Legislators

Link to this Entry | Printer-Friendly | Email a Comment | Post a Comment(0)