Forget Verizon and AT&T. As American policymakers debate whether to impose “net neutrality” rules to Internet network providers, France–always a step ahead in regulation–has fingered another threat to neutrality: Apple’s iTunes service. In a vote scheduled for today, the French parliament will vote on whether to require Apple to open its iTunes service to competing tune providers.
It would be easy to scoff at this. After all, Apple’s service is one of the most popular innovations since the flush toilet, revolutionizing online music to the benefit of millions of (apparently happy) consumers. But the French are annoyed: “France is against monopolies,” said an adviser at the French Culture Ministry yesterday.
But this is more than an idosyncratic French regulation. Its a logical extension of net neutrality principles: “The consumer must be able to listen to the music they have bought on no matter what platform” the French advisor said. Take away the French accent, and the argument is indistinguishable from that used by U.S. net neutrality proponents.
Of course, in the U.S., policymakers wouldn’t think of applying net neutrality regulations to anyone but the Bells and the cable companies. Would they? Its a question that Internet companies now supporting these net neutrality regulations should think pretty hard about. Maybe they should phone Steve Jobs for his opinion.
The Technology Liberation Front is the tech policy blog dedicated to keeping politicians' hands off the 'net and everything else related to technology.
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