Apple: French Law Creates "State-Sponsored Piracy"

Apple began lashing back at France's anti-DRM law (or "anti-Fairplay," as I've mentally dubbed it) yesterday. An Apple spokeswoman, Natalie Kerris, told Reuters that the only effect of the legislation would be a greater proliferation of pirated materials from the iTunes store.

The French implementation of the EU Copyright Directive will result in state-sponsored piracy," said Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris. "If this happens, legal music sales will plummet just when legitimate alternatives to piracy are winning over customers.

More interestingly, Kerris hints that removing DRM wouldn't necessarily hurt Apple in the way many Mac fans and analysts are predicting.

iPod sales will likely increase as users freely upload their iPods with "interoperable" music which cannot be adequately protected, Kerris said. Free movies for iPods should not be far behind.

A version of the statement obtained by the Wall Street Journal and reported by AppleInsider, the implications are still greater:

Free movies for iPods should not be far behind in what will rapidly become a state-sponsored culture of piracy.

Apple has so far not offered any further comment, nor any indication they would withdraw from France as predicted by some analysts.

We really have come a long way since Apple was getting blasted for allegedly promoting piracy with "Rip. Mix. Burn."

(Thanks to Plastic Pattern for the classic advertising.)