Legislation set to prevent DRM from blocking any "legitimate use"

The French National Assembly has adopted a copyright reform bill that outlaws closed DRM technologies such as Apple's Fairplay. The law requires approval by the Senate before it becomes effective.

The passed legislation provides consumers "a fundamental right to read" content that they purchase on any device, delegates Richard Cazenave and Bernard Carayon said in a statement. The law specifically prohibits digital rights management technology from blocking any "legitimate use".

To protect free software, the legislation outlaws patents on DRM and forces DRM developers to create open standards for their technology that allow software developers to add support

"These provisions should prevent the emergence of online culture monopolies, and we hope that other countries and Europe in particular will take up these clauses," the two said.

The law would also instate 38 to 150 euro fine on illegal copies.

The legislation aims to end a practice that is known as vendor lock-in for the digital media market. By preventing vendors from using proprietary media formats, it ensures consumer choice in both devices and services.

Apple currently offers the clearest example of vendor lock-in in the digital media space. The computer maker's iPod media players support only the unprotected mp3 format and the proprietary AAC format with the Fairplay digital rights management.

This prevents owners of non-iPod media players from playing music purchased in the iTunes media store, because Apple so far has refused to license the Fairplay technology.

Microsoft offers licenses for its Windows Media DRM at a fee. The law would force the company drop the license fee and make its technology available as an open standard.

France could risk isolating itself by passing the law, as it could prompt media vendors to retreat from the market to avoid being forced to open up their technology.