[Ti] 4 songs per second

[Massimo Marino]

On Sunday, May 4, 2003, at 09:02  AM, PowerBook G4 Titanium List wrote:

> Date: Sun, 4 May 2003 16:21:11 +1000
> Subject: Re: [Ti] 4 songs per second
> From: Mark Dorset <mark at suburbia.com.au>
> Message-Id: <99EEE180-7DF8-11D7-8710-003065A28E74 at suburbia.com.au>
>
>
> On Friday, May 2, 2003, at 11:13 Australia/Melbourne, T.L.Miller wrote:
>>> 1) bother to remember that there's a whole world out there besides 
>>> the
>>> U.S.A.
>>
>> Surely you can't be believing this!!! Apple doesn't want your money
>> because you're outside the US -- does that make sense?? Don't you 
>> think
>> there are legal reasons behind the restrictions?
>
> It's irrelevant - like I said in my original post, "I might buy
> something when...", and then listed the two reasons why I am not going
> be buying from the itunes shop. If the service won't let me shop there
> because I'm not American, what am I meant to do?

The issue has nothing to do with nationality and/or citizenship. It has 
to do with international legalese. Actually it is some record labels 
which are preventing Apple to go *international*. The service does not 
check whether your computer (that is, yourself) is or not located in 
the US (IP number check), nor whether you are or not US citizen (does 
not ask for nor verify that). What it checks is whether the payment is 
done with a card whose billing address is in the US for tax reasons. 
There is an article on wired that does explain that.

If you happen to have access (friend/relative/best-buddy) to a credit 
card with US billing address you would then be able to download music 
from anywhere in the world: no US citizenship test, nor tests to pass 
on physical location of your connection.

Finally, the same wired article states that Apple and financial/tax 
layers from record companies are ironing out the international issues 
as fast as they can. Apple is EAGER to get your Aussie money too: If 
they are selling 4 songs a second on US billing addressed credit cards 
(note: I did not say US citizens) when they go *international* that 
figure could easily triple.

Massimo