For the last several years Apple has had a very strong presence at MIDEM ('The world's Music Market'). It was impossible to ignore the iPod which cornered the market on ad space at the entrance to the conference center.
But not much doing, this year. The choice spot has been taken up by SFR and it's music-to-cellphone offerings (Thanks to Frédéric for the photo).
We'll probably never know if Apple just wasn't interested, or if SFR's finances were more convincing but the latter explanation is perhaps the right one as SFR has a vested interested in making everyone forget the iPhone's existence. On the other hand, in previous years Apple also had a presence inside with booths and a store, this year they are conspicuously absent.
[translation by