[X4U] iTunes authorization

[Simon Forster]

On 4 Dec 2006, at 09:28, Mitchell Senft wrote:

> Once again having problems with reaching the 5 machine limit for  
> authorization with iTunes. (ITunes downloads are limited to playing  
> on 5 machines.)
>
> The problem is complicated by the fact that one machine was trashed  
> without de-authorizing and the hard drive of the second, also- 
> retired machine is unavailable as well.
>
> Per Apple, the simple solution is to de-authorize all. My questions  
> are: If I do that, do all the iTunes downloads also get rendered  
> unplayable even after I reauthorize the machine to which they've  
> been downloaded? And if so, is there any alternative to a mass de- 
> authorization?

I was an early adopter of iTunes and bought a couple of tracks from  
the store almost as soon as it was launched. Quite quickly I lost the  
tracks (laptop replacement, dying hard drives etc) and so I decided  
not to buy DRMed tracks. More recently I bought an album from iTunes  
- which has gone too as I swapped machines around.

I cannot be bothered fighting with the software to use licensed  
product - so I don't buy DRMed music. Old fashioned CDs work fine for  
me.

Once again, the law is an ass. Frequently the measures introduced to  
deter ne'er-do-wells just ends up inconveniencing honest users while  
doing little to prevent abuse by the less scrupulous. Let's face it,  
if you want to make use of music you haven't purchased (aka  
"piracy"), it's easy enough to do. I choose broadly to stay on the  
right side of the law [1].

OK, mini-rant over.

To bring this back on topic, if I go to the Apple store, it tells me  
I've already downloaded all my purchases. This is true, but as I  
couldn't use them due to Apple's DRM, the tracks subsequently have  
been lost.

<sigh />

See. I give in. At least with non-DRMed product I know where I stand.

Simon Forster
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[1] "Broadly" because I defy anyone (particularly car drivers) to  
stay inside the law all the time. I'll say no more on this 'cause it  
could become a rant!