[sarcasm]Yet one more reason to be annoyed at the French.[/sarcasm] Why not sue Sony because you can't use Compact Flash cards in their cameras? Why not sue VHS vcr manufacturers because you can't play Beta in their machines?

I'm waiting to see if the Academe' Francais rules that le iPod is not a proper french word and must be banned from the language....

Apple hardly keeps it a secret that songs purchased through the iTMS will not play on portable music players other than the iPod (without burning and re-ripping). While it could be argued that this practice is anticompetitive, it is most certainly not deceitful.

Virgin failed to prove Apple was being anticompetitive, and Apple is makes no secret of the compatability of iTMS downloads and the iPod. This case is dead in the water.

It should be remembered by consumer groups (and Reality Check) that the iPod is fully compatable with MP3 download music services, of which I have named at least four repeatedly, and with standard consumer CDs that have been ripped into MP3 or unprotected AAC formats. These provide adequate diversity and freedom for customers, interested in purchasing music.

Although part of me wonders who is paying the court fees of this consumer group.

How far this will fly, especially since all their other DRMed WMA stores work with Windows-only. I guess if the French consumer group is successful with this case, it could be a precursor for future cases against Napster, BuyMusic and even Microsoft and its MSN Music for being anti-competitive with their online music solutions for locking in customers to Windows.

You must be french. Ipod is too short. They will probably rename it musique numerique portable personell.

I'm only half kidding.

Quote

French Government bans email
>From a correspondent in Paris
July 10, 2003

THE French government, in a bid to turn
back the tide of English words in the field
of technology, has banned its civil service
from using the term "email" instead of its
approved French equivalent, the culture
minister announced.

All government ministries, websites,
publications and documents must now
use "courriel" - a shortening of "courrier
electronique" (literally: electronic mail) -
when they are referring to the messages
sent via the internet, the ministry said
in a statement.

The move, made law by its publication
in the official government gazette on June
20, will put the French administration
out of step with the majority of the French
public, who still prefer to use "email" to
communicate between computer accounts.

Agence France-Presse

In fact "courriel" is widely used in France along with its english equivalent. As to MP3 player it is called "Lecteur MP3". France is by no means the only country trying to preserve a hint of national flavour in the i-vocabulary. The Scandinavian countries have "e-post" and "MP3-spiller/-spelare", just to mention some. I guess it is difficult to understand for Anglophones...

By the way I think "Que choisir" is widely off the mark...

They play the big boy only on the court! Dubya should nuke 'em!

[edited for bad language - Gavin]

I love it. lets go after a computer company selling music that no one needs to buy to stay alive, all the while we arent doing a damn thing about companies that produce drugs and energy that people need to survive, and they still gouge the hell uot of us.

yeah its just stupid. Nothing more to be said about it.

If they dont like it, the dont have to buy it.

So I went to the UFC-Que Choisir website and I'm thinking of sueing them because they do not give me the choice to read the site in English. I find this Highly descrimanatory and downright incompatible with my language choices. What are they trying to hide? I find this suspicious and deceitful. The should open their website to ALL languages> Very hypocritical!!

On the surface, this sounds like a silly lawsuit. I agree. If it is clearly explained (However, is it in French or in English ? Is it well explained in French? Is it explained at all ?)

However, the invasion of English terms into the French language and the use of English terms by many (usually young) French people (to sound different, cool,...) makes French sound more and more like English. Anyone should be upset if one's language is losing its identity.

I think Americans and all speakers would be upset if their language was being destroyed by another. I wonder how they would feel ?

I also wonder how these same people would feel if mosques were to replace the neighborhood MacDonald's or churches ?

I went on the website and could not find the article by clicking on the link. I am a fluent speaker.

I tried to find the information, but could not come up with that particular topic. It is true that (afetr doing a search) I read something to the effect that French people are upset that the "copies" of music pieces that work on one player (car) don't work elsewhere (for example). That seemed to be the gist of what was being complained about. French-people are asking that all players be compatible with each other. Mind you,... they don't have to buy it in the first place.

I wish the website would list the precise title (and/or link) of these articles they are talking about.

Quote

Guest wrote:
On the surface, this sounds like a silly lawsuit. I agree. If it is clearly explained (However, is it in French or in English ? Is it well explained in French? Is it explained at all ?)

However, the invasion of English terms into the French language and the use of English terms by many (usually young) French people (to sound different, cool,...) makes French sound more and more like English. Anyone should be upset if one's language is losing its identity.

I think Americans and all speakers would be upset if their language was being destroyed by another. I wonder how they would feel ?

I also wonder how these same people would feel if mosques were to replace the neighborhood MacDonald's or churches ?

Use a translator, or do what all Europeans must do in school-learn a second and possibly a third language!

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