Is there a way I can turn off some of the menus in XCode? Like the SCM menu (if I want) and the design menu (since I haven't had the opportunity to use Core Data yet).

It would make my Powerbook's menu sooo much happier.

OK, this sounds good. Consumers win, right? Yes, but no.

The Bad: This bill effectively changes the rules for fair copying to let the government change those rules - bring the "number of times you can make a backup" down to 0. (If they choose so, but with this kind of stuff, always assume that the worst will happen).

The Worse: Comments on BoingBoing indicate that sound like any application that could be use for copying must implement DRM.

So what about Apple's Finder, Microsoft's Explorer... or even database products that allow you to put files inside them!!??? Does this mean they all have to implement DRM - every kind of DRM under the sun, because everybody else (iTunes, MS, etc) has to as well. (Well, at least the specifications for these DRM solutions are open, and programmers won't be hauled into jail for doing their job. Still, I don't want to be the programmer who has to implement 25 DRM schemes.)

Sounds to me like this is the best way to sent France into the intellectual dark ages - when no company can sell in France (Apple being first) because they can't abide by the DRM rules there, where open source writes move to England or Spain, and everybody who understands the implications of giving the keys of private copy to the government music industry lobbyists.

The unsubstantiated: Of course, I can find no authoritative sources: no link to the bill, no numbers for English speaking French Parliament people to call, no nothing. This means I can't answer questions I have (aka: What is the exact wording of some of those things? Is the Internet community overreacting? What about (insert project name here), since it does copies, does that mean I have to include DRM? What about software purchased in another country and installed on France systems?

The scary, scary summary: If I ever needed proof of the greed and sheer evilness of the draconian music companies, here is it. Effectively shut France behind a firewall of laws, apart from technological innovation? Apart from... well, anybody who sells computer software? All this to prevent people from copying your stuff over the Internet?

Democracy isn't supposed to be bought. (That goes for the United States as well). Technology is Global. Sorry, nobody can make rules about it, and it's stupid to assume you can make multi-national corporations bow to insane wishes by your legal system.

If this gets put on the books, my advice to the French people: leave. I would do the same if it happened here.