Ok, so my daughter watched Rozen Maiden, and said, "Dad, I want that song 
for my iPod."

Sounds reasonable enough.  For 99 cents, I can probably get it from iTunes. 
Right?  Uh, no.  No problem, let's check Amazon.  Nope.  Hmmm...  I've got 
an idea.  I bet I can get it from iTunes Japan!  I'm so smart!

So, I change my iTunes country to Japan, and do a search.  Yep!  There it 
is!  Ok, let's download it for whatever it costs after converting Yen to US 
dollars.  At this point, I don't care if it's $2 or $3.  Not a problem for 
me.

Gee.  If I change my country to Japan and iTunes finds out that I don't 
actually, physically reside there, I will get into big trouble with them. 
At least that's what they say.  They'll block my account.  Dangit!  Now 
what?

Well, maybe I can buy the whole album from somewhere for cheap.  Think 
again!  Imported CD's cost 2 to 3 times as much as a regular CD (often $40 
or more), plus I really only want this one song.

Ok, I guess it's time for me to start Googling, and hopefully I can find an 
mp3 out there somewhere, and obtain the music illegally, having pretty much 
exhausted all other options.  Yep.  There it is.  Whew.  I finally got it.

Ok, so let's get this thing on my daughter's iPod Shuffle.  I plug it into 
my computer at work, where I downloaded the mp3, I start up iTunes and try 
to copy the mp3 to it.  Uh, I can't.  Why?  Because that iPod is 
synchronized with another computer.  Which computer?  One that was in my 
basement, which recently got flooded.  But all the songs are on the iPod, so 
can't I just copy them off onto this computer, then put them back on? 
HAHAHAHA  Yeah, right!  If they allowed that, well, then you could 
distribute music ILLEGALLY!  OMG!!!  IT MUST BE PREVENTED!!!

Eventually, I figured out how to copy the song file onto the iPod, but it 
still won't play it, because I copied it as a file, not as a song.  Well, at 
least it's on the iPod now...

Finally, I get home and hook up the old computer from the flooded basement 
(the computer never got wet, but I couldn't use it down there).  After 
spending an hour getting the computer up and running again, I'm finally able 
to copy the mp3 (that I downloaded illegally from the Internet) from her 
iPod, back onto her iPod in a playable format.


In an alternate universe, here's how things could have gone:
"Dad, I want that song."
"Ok honey, let's check iTunes...  It's not on the iTunes US site, but they 
say that for $2.99, we can download it from iTunes in Japan.  Let's just pay 
$2.99 for it."
"Thank you father!  I love you so much!  And I love my iPod too!"
"Me too, honey.  Me too..."
*Hugs*

Post a reply to this message

> Ok, so let's get this thing on my daughter's iPod Shuffle.  I plug it into 
> my computer at work, where I downloaded the mp3, I start up iTunes and try 
> to copy the mp3 to it.  Uh, I can't.  Why?  Because that iPod is 
> synchronized with another computer.  Which computer?  One that was in my 
> basement, which recently got flooded.  But all the songs are on the iPod, 
> so can't I just copy them off onto this computer, then put them back on? 
> HAHAHAHA  Yeah, right!  If they allowed that, well, then you could 
> distribute music ILLEGALLY!  OMG!!!  IT MUST BE PREVENTED!!!
>
> Eventually, I figured out how to copy the song file onto the iPod, but it 
> still won't play it, because I copied it as a file, not as a song.  Well, 
> at least it's on the iPod now...

The reasons above are exactly why I vowed never to buy an iPod again.

With other music players you just treat them like a hard drive and drag and 
drop whatever mp3s you feel like, and if (like me) you have a folder of 
"random" mp3s the music player just lets you navigate to that folder. 
However on an iPod it mixes in all those random mp3s with all the complete 
albums, so you end up with 4234235 albums, most of which just contain 1 
track.  That makes it much harder to search for anything to play.

Post a reply to this message

"Jeremy "UncleHoot" Praay" <jer### [at] questsoftwarecmo> wrote in message
news:4a27cd55$1@news.povray.org...

[...]

> In an alternate universe, here's how things could have gone:
> "Dad, I want that song."
> "Ok honey, let's check iTunes...  It's not on the iTunes US site, but they
> say that for $2.99, we can download it from iTunes in Japan.  Let's just
pay
> $2.99 for it."
> "Thank you father!  I love you so much!  And I love my iPod too!"
> "Me too, honey.  Me too..."
> *Hugs*

In a yet another alternative universe, it would have been a perfect
opportunity to teach a youngster that one may not always be able to get what
she wants.

Philosophical question: Are we entitled to be able to have access to any art
on any device so long as it technically possible? Do not the decisions of a
vendor/copyright holder count for anything, even when they may be perceived
as arbitrary?

Post a reply to this message

"somebody" <x### [at] ycom> wrote in message news:4a27d262$1@news.povray.org...
> In a yet another alternative universe, it would have been a perfect
> opportunity to teach a youngster that one may not always be able to get 
> what
> she wants.

At that point, it became my own personal obsession.  Touche, nevertheless.

>
> Philosophical question: Are we entitled to be able to have access to any 
> art
> on any device so long as it technically possible? Do not the decisions of 
> a
> vendor/copyright holder count for anything, even when they may be 
> perceived
> as arbitrary?

If I offer something for sale, I would have absolutely no expectations 
regarding to whom I could or could not sell it.
"Hi.  I want to buy a recording from you."
"Ok, but are you black?  Do you live in China?  Are you a homosexual?  If 
you've answered 'yes' to any of these questions, I won't sell it to you."

But the real problem with this argument is the implication that the artists 
(copyright holders) have actually determined that they do not want to sell 
their music outside of Japan.  They haven't.  The music industry has made 
this decision for them, so that they can maintain greater control over 
pricing within various markets, and in so doing, they are actually denying 
the artists the money that they could otherwise obtain easily.  The reason I 
can't buy it is simply because they have not made a determination as to what 
to charge this other market.  And the reason that they haven't, is simply 
because it's currently a small overseas market.  It's cheaper for them (Big 
Music) to ignore it, than to spend the time determining what prices to 
charge in the various market-places.  Plus, this does not even get into 
licensing and distribution issues, which, again the vast majority of artists 
themselves could not care less about.  "I recorded a song, and I want to 
sell it to anyone who will pay."

Post a reply to this message

"Jeremy \"UncleHoot\" Praay" <jer### [at] questsoftwarecmo> wrote:
> Gee.  If I change my country to Japan and iTunes finds out that I don't 
> actually, physically reside there, I will get into big trouble with them. 
> At least that's what they say.  They'll block my account.  Dangit!  Now 
> what?

  I really fail to see the logic in this business model. If someone wants
to buy a piece of music, why should it matter where he lives? Imagine if
this happened with real stores as well:

Customer: "Hey do you have this CD on sale?"
Salesman: "Let me see... Yes, we have it. It will be 500 yen."
Customer: "Great, I'll take it. Here's the money."
Salesman: "Can I ask you your country of residence?"
Customer: "I live in the United States, I'm just visiting Japan."
Salesman: "Oh, I'm sorry, but in that case I can't sell you this. You will
           have to leave the store, or I'll call the police."
Customer: "???!"

  Great way of making money.

-- 
                                                          - Warp

Post a reply to this message

Warp wrote:
> "Jeremy \"UncleHoot\" Praay" <jer### [at] questsoftwarecmo> wrote:
>> Gee.  If I change my country to Japan and iTunes finds out that I don't
>> actually, physically reside there, I will get into big trouble with them.
>> At least that's what they say.  They'll block my account.  Dangit!  Now
>> what?
> 
>   I really fail to see the logic in this business model. If someone wants
> to buy a piece of music, why should it matter where he lives? Imagine if
> this happened with real stores as well:
> 
> Customer: "Hey do you have this CD on sale?"
> Salesman: "Let me see... Yes, we have it. It will be 500 yen."
> Customer: "Great, I'll take it. Here's the money."
> Salesman: "Can I ask you your country of residence?"
> Customer: "I live in the United States, I'm just visiting Japan."
> Salesman: "Oh, I'm sorry, but in that case I can't sell you this. You will
>            have to leave the store, or I'll call the police."
> Customer: "???!"
> 
>   Great way of making money.

Well, in Argentina CDs cost about three times less than in the US. If iTunes
music store was opened here with their current US prices, *nobody* would
buy. If they opened here and adjusted their prices, then they would have to
take measures to avoid US citizens from setting their country to Argentina
and pay 3x less. (= get 3x less ripped off than usual)

Post a reply to this message

Jeremy "UncleHoot" Praay wrote:
> Ok, so my daughter watched Rozen Maiden, and said, "Dad, I want that song 
> for my iPod."

Psst...watch Shugo Chara!  ;)

Most of the OP and EDs are insanely catchy, on top of it being an 
awesome series.

--
Tim Cook
http://empyrean.freesitespace.net

Post a reply to this message

"Jeremy "UncleHoot" Praay" <jer### [at] questsoftwarecmo> wrote in message
news:4a27d620@news.povray.org...

> > Philosophical question: Are we entitled to be able to have access to any
> > art
> > on any device so long as it technically possible? Do not the decisions
of
> > a
> > vendor/copyright holder count for anything, even when they may be
> > perceived
> > as arbitrary?

> If I offer something for sale, I would have absolutely no expectations
> regarding to whom I could or could not sell it.
> "Hi.  I want to buy a recording from you."
> "Ok, but are you black?  Do you live in China?  Are you a homosexual?  If
> you've answered 'yes' to any of these questions, I won't sell it to you."

I think there are anti-discriminatory laws to cover some of that. But
regional sales is another matter, as is platform sales. I, as a vendor, may
chose not to make my software install/register on W2K, even though it may
technically run there. Does that mean a W2K user has free pass to patch the
XP version to bypass installation/registration? Likewise, a music vendor may
only release a track on CD audio. Does that mean others have free pass to
convert it to MP3 to play on their MP3 players?

> But the real problem with this argument is the implication that the
artists
> (copyright holders) have actually determined that they do not want to sell
> their music outside of Japan.  They haven't.  The music industry has made
> this decision for them, so that they can maintain greater control over
> pricing within various markets, and in so doing, they are actually denying
> the artists the money that they could otherwise obtain easily.

Hence I used the term "arbitrary" to describe the decision. I don't wish to
discuss whether we think the decision is good or bad, or who it benefits.
There may be very complex reasonings behind it, or it might be a fluke.
Shouldn't it be respected nonetheless?

Post a reply to this message

Jeremy "UncleHoot" Praay escreveu:
> In an alternate universe, here's how things could have gone:
> "Dad, I want that song."
> "Ok honey, let's check iTunes...  It's not on the iTunes US site, but they 
> say that for $2.99, we can download it from iTunes in Japan.  Let's just pay 
> $2.99 for it."
> "Thank you father!  I love you so much!  And I love my iPod too!"
> "Me too, honey.  Me too..."
> *Hugs* 

yeah, shame Jobs is such a control freak.  Perhaps that's why he got the 
disease...

-- 
a game sig: http://tinyurl.com/d3rxz9

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On Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:35:26 -0400, Jeremy \"UncleHoot\" Praay wrote:

> Ok, so let's get this thing on my daughter's iPod Shuffle.  I plug it
> into my computer at work, where I downloaded the mp3, I start up iTunes
> and try to copy the mp3 to it.  Uh, I can't.  Why?  Because that iPod is
> synchronized with another computer.  Which computer?  One that was in my
> basement, which recently got flooded.  But all the songs are on the
> iPod, so can't I just copy them off onto this computer, then put them
> back on? HAHAHAHA  Yeah, right!  If they allowed that, well, then you
> could distribute music ILLEGALLY!  OMG!!!  IT MUST BE PREVENTED!!!

I don't know if Windows can use it, but from Linux I use gnupod and it 
doesn't care about the iPod being paired with one and only one computer.

It's a couple of perl scripts, so in theory it might work with Windows if 
you install ActiveState Perl.

Jim

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