Accompanying the eternal xServe, the previous generation iMac G5 has made its return to the
Refurb Store, which is open every day until January 4th.
You can find the iMac G5 17" (1.8GHz G5 /512/ 160/ Combo/ ATI9600-128MB/ 56K/ BT/ AP) for 956.80 Euros TTC (-27%) and the iMac G5 20" (2.0GHz G5 /512/ 250/ SD/ ATI9600-128MB/ 56K/ BT/ AP) for 1349.24 Euros (-26%)
In a tense environment, the deputies decided yesterday to defer the adoption of the DADVSI law until mid-January.
Of course, the amendments voted in, which are too in favor of web surfers, will be back on the table for negotiation.
Let's hope that by then the shock that the majors and the government experienced will lead to a more balanced text than a one-sided text.
Contrary to expectations and contrary to what the DADVSI law was to introduce, yesterday the deputies [from the French Parliament] adopted an amendment which extends the classification of private copying to P2P file-sharing. This means that it will be legal to download for your own personal use in France. A warning before anyone rushes to download away, the law won't take affect until after publication by the "journal officiel" (bill of laws), and that is not likely to happen in this case. Indeed, the government cannot pass this and is going to demand a new vote.
But this government mishap especially proves that this law was proposed too quickly to the deputies and without much discussion.
[UPDATE] Here is the the text voted on:
In the same way, the author cannot prohibit reproductions carried out on any medium starting from a service of communication online by an individual for his private use and for purposes not directly or indirectly commercial, except for the copies of software other than the backup copy, provided that these reproductions are the subject of a remuneration as envisaged with the article L 311-4
If downloading is thus legalized, the uploading of files is not. It is some kind of legalization of what various courts had decided, where only those who made songs available for download were prosecuted.
This amendment, in its wording, puts fees on all mediums for the private copy. Because if the deputies tax access to the internet, one will have to pay to download, then pay for storing on a CD or DVD, then pay for the memory of a mp3 player being used to listen to it. Knowing that some want to extend it to hard disks, it might end up that taxes will have to be payed on every medium, even if the item is used only temporarily.
This amendment also burdens all the music distribution channels, such as record stores, like FNAC, and online stores, like the iTMS and Virgin store.
If one can get music legally online, why use other distributors?
Microsoft continues to ignore the injunctions of the European Commission. They were supposed to publish documentation enabling competitors to build compatible network software before last December 15th.
Because these documents have not yet been released, the Commission is now threatening to fine Microsoft 2 million Euros per day.
Knowing that Europe is an enormous market, Microsoft can not risk withdrawing its software from sale.
