The French bill on 'droits d'auteur' is generating reactions even in the United States

Richard Stallman will kickoff the events in Paris where he will attend the flash mob organized by the Stop DRM collective on this Friday, June 9th. This action will be relayed in several cities in France (Dijon, Toulouse, Strasbourg). The next day, the Americans of Defective By Design will invite American citizens to react in like fashion: actions are planned in New York, Boston, Chicago, Seattle and San Francisco.

The participants of these flash mobs wish to inform people at large of the evils of digital padlocking and of the importance of interoperability (the possibility given to consumers of listening to or watching) their legally acquired cultural products on the hardware of their choosing).

The French bill on 'droits d'auteur' will be in full view of world participants: the vote at the national assembly on the amendments to article 7 guaranteeing the interoperability (a disposition christened the “iPod Law” in the US) has generated a lot of hope. But the Senate has completely rewritten the text, doing away with any guarantee of protection for consumers and for independent software developers (notably for free software authors/programmers).

By targeting Apple's North American stores, the members of Defective By Design wish to call attention to the political pressures that this American manufacturer is applying in order to impose its dangerous and anti-competitive technologies. These actions are in response to those that have been led for several months now by the French of StopDRM.info.

Press Contact :

Tangui Morlier, media coordinator, France (StopDRM.info)
<presse@stopdrm.info> +33 6 81 88 02 98