French legislators on Friday gave official approval to a law that could force Apple Computer, producer of the iPod digital music player, to make its iTunes Music Store, as well as its future iPods, compatible with music players made by its competitors and their related download services, the Associated Press reports via the New York Post.France’s Senate and National Assembly voted to approve the copyright bill, according to the AP, which could lead Apple and other rivals in the digital music player and download space to exit the market in the country. The bill will now become law in France, and any previous objections to it are now considered invalid, the AP reports. Apple’s iTunes Music Store currently allows its users to download songs and video clips, among other offerings, for use with their iPods; however, content purchased via iTunes will play only on iPods, and vice versa, content downloaded via other services—like Napster—will not play on Apple’s devices. Earlier this year, Apple said the original version of the copyright law was “state-sponsored piracy.”The final text of the bill still says Apple should make the technology behind its music player and download service available to competitors, but it also contains a loophole that would allow Apple to circumvent the “interoperability” provisions by gaining permission from artists or record labels to set compatibility restrictions. Related Links: French Legislators Agree to Tone Down iTunes Law EC Regulators Won’t Force Interoperable iTunes Apple: Stock Option Grant ‘Irregularities’ Found Apple’s iTunes to Offer Movies for Download?Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Sponsored by Freshworks When your AI chatbots mess up AI ‘hallucinations’ present significant business risks, but new types of guardrails can keep them from doing serious damage By Paul Gillin Dec 08, 2023 4 mins Generative AI brandpost Sponsored by Dell New research: How IT leaders drive business benefits by accelerating device refresh strategies Security leaders have particular concerns that older devices are more vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. By Laura McEwan Dec 08, 2023 3 mins Infrastructure Management case study Toyota transforms IT service desk with gen AI To help promote insourcing and quality control, Toyota Motor North America is leveraging generative AI for HR and IT service desk requests. By Thor Olavsrud Dec 08, 2023 7 mins Employee Experience Generative AI ICT Partners feature CSM certification: Costs, requirements, and all you need to know The Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification sets the standard for establishing Scrum theory, developing practical applications and rules, and leading teams and stakeholders through the development process. By Moira Alexander Dec 08, 2023 8 mins Certifications IT Skills Project Management Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe