iTunes blocks my first attempt to buy from them
Speaking of major movie studios boycotting Canada ...
I had heard recently that the new, CGI-enhanced version of the original Star Trek (1966-1969) had been made available at iTunes. So I figured I would go and shell out two bucks for a sample episode, just to see how the new effects look. But I couldn't find it at the iTunes store. So I did a bit of Googling, and found links to the various Star Trek-related iTunes items at this blog. But when I click on them, my iTunes program gives me this message:
It's almost as though the studios want us to resort to piracy.
I had heard recently that the new, CGI-enhanced version of the original Star Trek (1966-1969) had been made available at iTunes. So I figured I would go and shell out two bucks for a sample episode, just to see how the new effects look. But I couldn't find it at the iTunes store. So I did a bit of Googling, and found links to the various Star Trek-related iTunes items at this blog. But when I click on them, my iTunes program gives me this message:
Your request could not be completed.Actually, that's the message I get now. The last time I tried one of the links, it was a little longer, and it asked me if I wanted to switch to the U.S. store. So I did. And then, when I said I wanted to buy an episode, iTunes asked me to create an Apple account. And then it asked me if my credit card's billing address was in a country other than the U.S. And then when I selected Canada, my iTunes program went right back to the Canadian store. Arrrrgh.
The item you've requested is not currently available in the Canadian Store.
It's almost as though the studios want us to resort to piracy.
posted by Peter T Chattaway at 11:27 AM
6 Comments:
Tell me about it. TV and Video are not available through the Canadian store until sometime "early 2007".
I've heard of some creative ways to get around that embargo, but for now, you'll have to live with that stack of DVDs, and only buy music off the iTunes store.
Which means that I am not picking up that appleTV box for a while yet....
I've been waiting for this to happen; I'm thinking of canceling cable, but there are a few shows that I do want to watch, and bit torrent doesn't do it for me.
Did I say cable? I meant satellite.
murtni
I can understand why this would be an issue (though I'm disappointed that they haven't solved it yet). Rights for TV and movie distribution vary country to country (which I know you're well aware of), and so to sell something in Canada, you'd have to go through the Canadian rights holders. While it's often just another company under a parent company (with Star Trek, it's all Paramount/CBS Television on both sides of the border), in some cases it's a completely different company altogether. So I'm guessing they want to make sure EVERYTHING is in order before offering stuff.
Oh well, they certainly aren't making it easy for people to avoid going the piracy route, even though I really wish they would.
If they can't get you to become a video pirate...they can't sue you. It's a pretty nefarious plan to get our money.
last year, while my wife was still in Colombia, i sent her a gift certificate for the iTunes store. she wasn't able to use it or even open it while she was down there. much the same ordeal you went through, only absolutely no service.
i don't think she's used it yet. nuts!
It's outrageous that Canadian consumers can't buy content via the U.S. iTunes store. I say get rid of iTunes. It's too proprietary. And if it's Canadian laws preventing the sale into Canada, then I say vote out the politicians who allow these laws. Media should be freely available to the world, especially when people are willing to pay for it! Where does protectionism begin and censorship end?
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