Visit our Expo show page for full coverage of all show announcements
Tech Industry

07/25/2003, 3:45pm, EDT

Friday, July 25th

[::FROM::] [::SiteName::]

iTMS songs won't play outside U.S.

[::related_name_google::] [::related_name_google1::]
[::related_stories_google::] [::related_products_google::]
iTunes Music Store user Declan McCullagh writes about his difficulties playing music purchased with the Apple's online music service, after moving to Canada. "Having purchased a number of songs from the Apple Music Store while in the US and using a US funds credit card, I regrettably didn't read the fine print ... I've now discovered that if you leave the country, your songs may just disappear." Apple has said it will launch its online music store in Canada and the rest of the world later this year, but the company has not commented on the specific issue described by McCullagh.

[::digg_button::]

[::news_tags::]

, [::delicious::][::slashdot::][::digg::], 


[::boottext::] [::bootmark::]

[::layout::]

[::google::]
60 comments
Reader Reactions

subscribe to comments
for this article




120107 07/25, 4:10pm, EDT Wrong person
Declan McCullagh was not the individual who had trouble with his iTunse Music Store music. The individual's name is Shawn.

Declan McCullagh runs the Politech list, on which the message was posted.

The loss of playability most likely stems from the fact that Apple cannot sell you music outside of the US. Therefore, if you try to authorize the music with an address outside of the US, as Shawn did, Apple cannot legally authorize it for you. Shawn had to re-authorize his music due to a problem with his powerbook.

posted by MacNN.com Reader

120108 07/25, 4:23pm, EDT not true
check out the slashdot discussion here:
http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/07/25/1316225&mode=nested&tid=141&tid=188

The person ran into problems because he "reinstall"-ed his computer. Your purchased songs don't just disappear from your hard drive when you leave the country or change your billing address to outside the U.S.

posted by MacNN.com Reader

120112 07/25, 4:30pm, EDT FUD
This is a non-issue. I've been overseas and have been able to listen to my music-store-purchased AAC files.

This person erased the music on his own, and then tried to re-download them while NOT in the US. Apple is not allowed to sell music outside the US, so he was not able to download his songs.

He should have made a backup (burn to CD) before erasing everything.

posted by MacNN.com Reader

120113 07/25, 4:34pm, EDT silly question
couldn't he try to format/reinstall again, this time using his original address? shouldn't that fix things, considering that the music is still there, its just that itunes won't play it.

posted by MacNN.com Reader

120116 07/25, 4:40pm, EDT That's a fake
From his website

Career highlights include:

Musicdirect.com
I was responsible for the development of one of the earliest online music retail operations.

Microsoft Corporation
I was part of an elite team of business development and technology professionals tasked with answering Netscape's threat to Microsoft's dominance in desktop and server technology.

---

Seems to be a strange coincidence that someone who worked for MS AND for a direct competitor of the iTMS, has problems with the musicstore. I don't buy it.

And it's quite interesting, that someone working in the computer business, doesn't back up his data.

posted by MacNN.com Reader

120117 07/25, 4:41pm, EDT this is just the beginnin
...welcome to 1984...

posted by MacNN.com Reader

120118 07/25, 4:42pm, EDT DRM
...Good old DRM.... read the fine print, stop whining!

posted by MacNN.com Reader

120120 07/25, 4:47pm, EDT Not a small print problem
This has nothing to do with reading the small print. It has to do with reading the basic terms that virtually everyone in the Mac world knows full well.

iTunes is only available to US customers. Period. Not US customers who moved to another country but thought they should still be able to access a US only service. This is a non story originated by someone who apparently couldn't grasp what is meant by a US customers only service.

posted by MacNN.com Reader

120128 07/25, 5:02pm, EDT Solution
Don't move to Canada.

posted by MacNN.com Reader

120130 07/25, 5:14pm, EDT .
Doh!

posted by MacNN.com Reader

additional comments:..1..2..3..4..5..6..Next
Your Comments

In order to post comments: If you are a registered member, please login with your MacNN Forums username and password otherwise please uncheck the checkbox below.


Registered Member? (uncheck if you wish to post without logging in)
 
macnn forums login:

macnn forums password:

Not a member of the MacNN forums? Register now for free.
Autokredit im Vergleich - Here is some car credit information for our Germany visitors.

PowerBookMedic will fix any Powerbook, iBook, iPod: We offer Parts, Hard Drives, Superdrives, Ram Upgrades & Repairs all backed up w/ our 1YR Warranty!

John McCain: campaign: Learn more about John McCain. Get involved today.

Does Your Child Have ADHD: Find out about an ADHD medication available for children.

Ad: Browse a huge selection now. Find exactly what you want today.

Buy from The Apple Store, iTunes.com, Amazon.com, TechDepot, OfficeDepot, Computers4Sure, or donate.