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http://www.macnn.com/articles/05/03/14/itunes.sharing.limit/

iTunes 4.7.1 quietly brings sharing restrictions

updated 10:25 pm EST, Mon March 14, 2005

iTunes sharing limit

With the . The limit applies to the number of unique machines that can access the iTunes library via the built-in sharing feature and is separate from its iTunes music license agreement, which allows playback of purchased songs on five different computers. The sharing limitation prevents more than five different machines from accessing a users' shared playlist, regardless of whether the song is purchased from iTunes (protected by Apple's FairPlay DRM software) or whether it is a standard (unprotected) MP3 file. "This applies merely to the Rendezvous sharing feature of your music library and playlist... even if they are non-protected AAC's or MP3's and/or CD's you've ripped yourself."

by MacNN Staff

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ebeyer
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jun 2004

0

03/14, 10:35pm | report spam | close Reply |
That...

....S U C K S !!!

bobolicious
Junior Member

Joined: Aug 2002

0

03/14, 10:40pm | report spam | close Reply |
Apple may yet...

...be their own worst enemy - big brother fears & that classic cocky Apple arrogance that has been the achilles heel of Apple's repeated falls from grace seems to be rearing its UGLY head again...

I haven't bought ANY itunes yet 'cause it's lossy (lousy?) and plays into the hands that might bite me in the behind in the end...

IMHO messsianic tendencies are Jobs worst trait...

I DON'T TRUST APPLE COMPUTER...

OptimusG4
Mac Elite

Joined: Feb 2003

0

03/14, 10:43pm | report spam | close Reply |
This is news?

iTunes 4.7.1 has been out for how long and this is just reaching front page status?

adon
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Mar 2005

0

03/14, 10:47pm | report spam | close Reply |
agreement with 'ebeyer'

I have no argument there

MacnTX
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Apr 2004

0

03/14, 10:50pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: Apple may yet...

You're totally barking up the wrong tree. I'm sure these restrictions have more to do with edicts coming down from the record labels than from Apple wanting more control. Apple still is pretty much at their mercy when it comes to pricing and restrictions since the labels are the ones in control of these things, not Apple.

samuraiduck
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 2003

0

03/14, 10:51pm | report spam | close Reply |
Whoops

Corrections, people have known for a couple months

http://forum.osnn.net/archive/index.php/t-51907.html

/too lazy for html skillz now

abe2
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Dec 2004

0

03/15, 12:36am | report spam | close Reply |
Re: Apple may yet...

"You're totally barking up the wrong tree. "

You might be right, but he does have a point - DRM is DRM, no matter how 'Fair' it might be; you DON'T have control over it, someone else does.

They've already brought further restrictions in the past, and now even more. h***, they might decide to turn this into a subscription model so you'd have to fork over more dough to listen to your already-purchased songs; unlikely, but they CAN do it, and that's what scary here.

henryblackman
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Feb 2003

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03/15, 03:05am | report spam | close Reply |
Wrong... can't!

Apple can't do *anything* because at the end of the day, we don't have to upgrade. My music, whether ripped off CDs, or bought from iTMS works fine in 4.7.0 and I haven't upgraded yet, so the restriction does not apply to me.

No one is forcing anyone to upgrade, and, let's be honest, a fix connection maximum is either to stop your Mac becoming a server on a local network (think student residences at a University), or to stop your Mac being overwhelmed with connections. Let's also be honest about what we need it for, 5 simultaneous connections is 4 more than I need.

If they look away the feature, then I might be mad, but as it stands, I don't care, and I suspect the VAST majority don't either. Most people who seem to care, probably don't have more than 5 connected machines, so it's all just hot air.

Miniryu
Mac Elite

Joined: Oct 1999

0

03/15, 04:40am | report spam | close Reply |
Use more than 5

Well I live in a University setting, and far more than 5 people listen to my music everyday. This is garbage- and I am sure it is the record companies doing the work.

bobolicious
Junior Member

Joined: Aug 2002

0

03/15, 05:33am | report spam | close Reply |
re: Wrong... can't!

...if you own a 'Shuffle' I believe you need iTunes 4.7.1...

VValdo
Dedicated MacNNer

Joined: May 2001

0

03/15, 05:45am | report spam | close Reply |
I disagree

No one is forcing anyone to upgrade

This is true, but there was no notification apparently that these services would be turned off when upgrading.

I wonder if this could qualify as a bait-and-switch if a user buys a product which includes iTunes which is demonstrated (at the apple store) and/or advertised to contain certain features, then those features are stealthily removed or restricted during a routine upgrade without any advanced notification or warning to the user.

I also wonder whether we should be expecting further "downgrades" of software for which we purchased full price when buying the computer. This is not the first time they have done this sort of thing with iTunes.

In short, I agree. This sucks.

W

quazi
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2002

0

03/15, 06:52am | report spam | close Reply |
iTunes is required?

If iTunes was absolutely required for music management, that would be one thing, but it's been years since someone figured out the iTunesDB file and opened the door for dozens of iTunes replacements to come around.

I don't really see this as an issue. Use iTunes for what it can do, and then use the alternatives for what iTunes can't do.

medmuse
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 2002

0

03/15, 09:17am | report spam | close Reply |
WTF?

DRM? WTF does DRM have to do with my personal ripped mp3s? I don't like upgrading and then finding out that the "upgrade" is "crippled".

jpellino
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 1999

0

03/15, 09:18am | report spam | close Reply |
the practical effect?

It used to be five unique users simultaneously.
Not it's five unique users per day.
Practically, is this really clamping down on the functionality of iTunes?
It's not stopping me from listening to my music.
It's stopping the sixth(+) person(s) who want(s) my playlist.

iceberg
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 2004

0

03/15, 10:12am | report spam | close Reply |
dumb, dumb, dumb

If I understand this correctly, not only are the DRM files limited in connections, but even you own unprotected mp3 files- and thats what upsets me.

I can totally understand why they would restrict the DRM'd files, but why couldn't they engineer a solution so that your "open" stuff stays open?

skateray
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2000

0

03/15, 03:18pm | report spam | close Reply |
RE: Max Connections

"Let's also be honest about what we need it for, 5 simultaneous connections is 4 more than I need."

They aren't talking about SIMULTANEOUS connections. If you have five people connect to you, and then all disconnect, then a sixth person won't be able to connect to you even if he/she would be the only person connected. I have found this feature to be very annoying, definately paralyzes the college network music streaming thing. Itunes has always/for a long time has a MAX # of connections, just this per day this is new.

I can't even connect to myself remotely when I want to.

garyj
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Mar 1999

0

03/15, 10:58pm | report spam | close Reply |
Not so fast

Can someone actually do some testing and verify that this is indeed true. It seems like everyone is basing all of this off of one post.

It sounds possible, but I haven't tested it yet so I will hold off on any accusations.

This should take a few minutes to test in a college dorm environment...

crevatis
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Feb 2005

0

03/16, 09:30am | report spam | close Reply |
re: Wrong... can't!

Sure there may be benefits to limiting the connections to your computer, but the problem people have is having little choice in the matter and having it done with no warning. The best way to implement this and keep everyone happy is let them have a control. Let them determine how many connections they want to allow, and let them do the cost/benefit analysis for themselves. When you place restrictions on software without giving much warning if any, you lead people to feel they are losing a little control and freedom. That gradual restriction of freedom, and not losing something they truly need, is what is upsetting people here.

lklarson
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

0

03/17, 06:53am | report spam | close Reply |
iTunes Sharing

Has anyone successfully shared a single iTunes library amongst multiple users of the same computer? I've tried moving each user's iTunes library to a shared folder, and even a networked drive on another machine. No joy. It seems to be the sort of thing that might be prohibited on purpose. How about storing all of my ripped iTunes from several machines (all of them mine) to a single location on my network? That way they would all be "mine" and I could make playlists, burn CDs.

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iTunes 4.7.1 quietly brings sharing restrictions

updated 10:25 pm EST, Mon March 14, 2005

iTunes sharing limit

That...

Apple may yet...

This is news?

agreement with 'ebeyer'

Re: Apple may yet...

Whoops

Re: Apple may yet...

Wrong... can't!

Use more than 5

re: Wrong... can't!

I disagree

iTunes is required?

WTF?

the practical effect?

dumb, dumb, dumb

RE: Max Connections

Not so fast

re: Wrong... can't!

iTunes Sharing

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iTunes 4.7.1 quietly brings sharing restrictions

updated 10:25 pm EST, Mon March 14, 2005

iTunes sharing limit

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That...

Apple may yet...

This is news?

agreement with 'ebeyer'

Re: Apple may yet...

Whoops

Re: Apple may yet...

Wrong... can't!

Use more than 5

re: Wrong... can't!

I disagree

iTunes is required?

WTF?

the practical effect?

dumb, dumb, dumb

RE: Max Connections

Not so fast

re: Wrong... can't!

iTunes Sharing

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