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EU to ensure that digital devices don’t lock consumers into proprietary tech
June 24, 2010 | 8:50 am
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By Paul Biba
Now this is an initiative that we all should get behind. According to Neelie Kroes, EU commissioner for the Digital Agenda:
“User data is moving more and more into the ‘cloud’ and people are getting their music, videos and applications digitally (for example through iTunes) instead of buying them in physical media,” Kroes said.
“We need to make sure that significant market players cannot just choose to deny interoperability with their product. This is particularly important in cases where standards don’t exist,” she said.
“Under the Digital Agenda for Europe, we will examine the feasibility of introducing measures to make big market players license interoperability information.”
“This is not just about Microsoft or any big company like Apple, IBM or Intel. The main challenge is that consumers need choice when it comes to software or hardware products,” the commissioner insisted.
“Any kind of IT product should be able to communicate with any type of service in the future,” she added.
Applications for Apple products, like the iPhone, were another example of a big market player locking consumers into proprietary technology, the commissioner said.
This is one of the most important long-term initiatives, in my view, that the EU can undertake. Why is it that I suspect that nothing at all will ever be done with this here in the US? Let’s hope that the EU can shame our government into taking a similar approach.
Much more information in the article at EurActiv.
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Comments:
Uh, much as I don’t like proprietary stuff, I also don’t like governments getting involved to “protect” me because it almost always ends up not helping me at all.
Well, I think the main reason we won’t see this in the US is because the US government is much more dependent on, and “in bed” with, multinational corporations than the EU is – look at the MDCA, which gives great powers to the corporations that license content. The EU looks out for users/consumers, that sort of thing is like pulling teeth in the US. The US needs a new young digital-age Ralph Nader.
No, the reason we won’t see this is because the US has more respect for people’s rights. The government has no business setting formats and stifling competition. We never did it with video tapes, hd dvd’s, etc. why do it here?
“Any kind of IT product should be able to communicate with any type of service in the future”
All you’re going to do is kill inovation that way. Formats change and forcing them to stay the same just hinders development and adds another layer of oppressive government regulation.