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outphase

macrumors 65816
Jun 13, 2009
1,291
32
Parts Unknown
I had purchased over $1000 worth of music from the iTunes store and still have every email receipt to prove it, but a few years ago I lost my hard drive containing my iTunes library. I tried the "Check for Available Downloads" option in iTunes and nothing showed up. I contacted Apple and was told that none of it was available anymore. I checked and the music was still there. Apple then told me it must have changed format or something, but that I would have to purchase my music again. AND this was before the cloud. iTunes store has always been that way. Total BS

Why don't you look at the Purchased section of iTunes rather than the "Check for Available Downloads" which doesn't even do what you want it to do anyway.
 

oosk2k11

macrumors newbie
Nov 1, 2011
19
0
Hey guys, your purchases may still be there. I also had this issue. Seems to be a common problem. But good news! I have a solution.

The purchases are merely hidden.

As copied from http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4919?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

To unhide your purchases
Open iTunes on your computer. You can download the latest version of iTunes here.
If you're not already signed in, choose Store > Sign in. If you're signed in, skip to step 4.
Enter your Apple ID and password, then click the Sign In button.
Choose Store > View My Account. (You may be asked to enter your password again).
Click on View Hidden Purchases from your Account Information page.
Choose a content type by clicking Music, TV shows, Apps, or Books from the top.
Click the Unhide button next to the item you would like to restore.
If you have too many to unhide individually, e-mail or Chat with iTunes Support and they'll unhide them for you.

Hope it helps. If it works, spread the word!

Cheers
 

ipedro

macrumors 603
Original poster
Nov 30, 2004
6,232
8,493
Toronto, ON
That wasn't it. Movies get delisted from iTunes and sometimes re-added under a different licensee. If you bought from the old license, you lose the movie you paid for unless you happened to go download it on iTunes and back it up.

This is still a major issue and nobody seems to want to address it.
 

Gjwilly

macrumors 68040
May 1, 2011
3,216
701
SF Bay Area
Because it's already been addressed.
Non-physical media is never owned -- only rented, borrowed, licensed,...... use whichever verb you like.
It's been that was since the very beginning of non-physical media.
You backup or you take the risk of possible loss.
I'm not defending Apple. That's just the nature of the beast.
It happened to WalMart's online customers and it can happen to Apple's.
Take it to the extreme -- Apple folds and closes its doors tomorrow.
All the iCloud servers are shut down.
What happens to your online purchases then?
 

2010mini

macrumors 601
Jun 19, 2013
4,698
4,806
OP,

you have forgotten the first rule in computing SOS, save often stupid. Always, ALWAYS back up your content. You actually expect a company to guarantee you indefinite cloud storage?? That you are not paying for?? seriously???
 

ipedro

macrumors 603
Original poster
Nov 30, 2004
6,232
8,493
Toronto, ON
Apple is selling the concept of the post PC era and they're selling the idea that the AppleTV doesn't require a computer in the house. When you can buy content on a device without onboard storage and Apple is happy to sell it to you that way, then they have a responsibility of making that content available to you -- or at the very least, make it explicit that content that you own is about to be delisted and give you a chance to back it up. There's no excuse for what they're doing. Either they can deliver on the post PC promise or they can't. Right now, for licensing reasons they can't and they should be upfront about it.
 

musicpenguy

macrumors 68000
Oct 29, 2006
1,824
734
Apple is selling the concept of the post PC era and they're selling the idea that the AppleTV doesn't require a computer in the house. When you can buy content on a device without onboard storage and Apple is happy to sell it to you that way, then they have a responsibility of making that content available to you -- or at the very least, make it explicit that content that you own is about to be delisted and give you a chance to back it up. There's no excuse for what they're doing. Either they can deliver on the post PC promise or they can't. Right now, for licensing reasons they can't and they should be upfront about it.

That is factually incorrect - I have several movies in my iTunes in the Cloud library that are completely redownloadable and streamable (these are movies that were yanked from sale due to HBO or some other stupid reason). Back in March I believe they updated their terms with the movie studios to make this no longer an issue. I can provide examples if you'd like me to look some up. But, this is no longer an issue - I was furious when it used to be and got several refunds back when this was an issue. Believe me I have been following this issue closely.

Edit: Current example is Spielberg's The Terminal - no longer for sale - but still in my iTunes in the Cloud collection on Apple TV etc.
 
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ipedro

macrumors 603
Original poster
Nov 30, 2004
6,232
8,493
Toronto, ON
If it's been fixed, it doesn't apply to previous purchases. I have many of them and my brother finally gave up on Apple after yet another movie (Universal Soldier) disappeared. Apple has not provided credits or even a redownloadible copy.

I'm a big Apple fan and I've evangelized about it for over a decade but this is indefensible.

Do you have a link to a story regarding these updated terms? I'd like to send it to my brother to reassure him that future purchases are safe.

EDIT: I found a current document on Apple's support page that makes it clear that previous purchases can disappear:

Previous purchases may be unavailable if they have been refunded or are no longer on the iTunes Store. Downloading previously purchased movies and TV shows requires iTunes 10.6 or later.
It is recommended that you always back up your iTunes library in the event that a purchased item is no longer available on the iTunes Store. For more information about backing up your library, see this article.

Now how do you back up a movie purchased on AppleTV if you don't own a computer? Apple sells the AppleTV as not needing a computer and indeed many homes these days only have an AppleTV and an iPad. How do you back up previously purchased content if you don't own a Mac and the AppleTV doesn't have internal storage?
 
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Gjwilly

macrumors 68040
May 1, 2011
3,216
701
SF Bay Area
It's in the fine print [footnote 4] but the following is right on the front page when browsing the AppleTV in the Apple Store.
Previous purchases may be unavailable if they are no longer in the iTunes Store.
 

EthanNixon

macrumors 6502a
Sep 30, 2007
645
97
New Jersey
So...I guess iTunes is the ONLY digital download platform you have used?

Did you read the iTunes Store's TOS? No, I figured.

South Park made a good episode, you should use that for research.

It's clearly stated in the iTunes TOS that when you make a purchase, you do not OWN the product, but you are paying for a license to use said product.
 

RabidMacFan

macrumors 6502
Jun 19, 2012
356
170
California
Apple isnt responsible for your lack of a proper back-up solution. if all your CDs became scratched, would you expect Tower Records to replace them all?

Of course Apple is responsible! The tagline for iCloud is "iCloud is the easiest way to manage your content. Because you now you don't have to." - http://www.apple.com/icloud/features/


If Tower records said they will store all your records purchases in the cloud for you to access later, they damn well better store them for access in the future! That is the entire proposition of the cloud! There are no scratched disks!
 

Sander

macrumors 6502a
Apr 24, 2008
521
67
Apple isnt responsible for your lack of a proper back-up solution. if all your CDs became scratched, would you expect Tower Records to replace them all?

Actually, yes. And the media industry brought this upon themselves. The naive view of "buying" a CD (or a movie on disc) is that you subsequently "own" the content, and would be free to back it up. The media industry cleverly circumvented this by saying you actually buy two things: The medium (disc), plus the "license" to view the content. But if that is the case, then I should be allowed to buy a BD version of the same content for a reduced price if I can show I already paid for the license when I bought the DVD. Even if one argues "but with the BD you're getting more pixels of that same content", then it should at least be (almost) free to download an SD version of a movie to stream it to my iPad, and I should certainly be allowed to backup, format-shift, or whatever. However, most content owners have been extremely queasy about this idea.

Incidentally, Disney does replace damaged DVDs at reduced cost (presumably just the cost of the disc + shippng and handling). See the Disney website.

Apple seems to have broken some ground here with their iTunes Match thing and with movies in the cloud, but I agree with the OP that they should take a firm stand for their customers and against the distributors, saying "This customer has paid their license to view the content - we are going to make sure this customer will have access to this content forever." They'll probably have to convince the distributor that they will not make this content available to new people who haven't paid the license in the past - even if they may have to concede and let distributors disallow selling of new licenses.

The argument "it's in the small print" doesn't hold water in my humble opinion. It's something Apple might choose to hide behind, but I can't understand why we customers feel the need to defend this. Apple clearly advertizes the notion that the cloud is the backup.

Personally, I don't believe in the cloud at all, for exactly these reasons.
 

mactumors

macrumors 6502
Aug 3, 2008
306
29
"The Tree of Life" is currently not available for purchase in the store, but I can still download it.

Not the best example, as they would be doing you a favor if they deleted that movie from your collection. ;)
 

musicpenguy

macrumors 68000
Oct 29, 2006
1,824
734
If it's been fixed, it doesn't apply to previous purchases. I have many of them and my brother finally gave up on Apple after yet another movie (Universal Soldier) disappeared. Apple has not provided credits or even a redownloadible copy.

I'm a big Apple fan and I've evangelized about it for over a decade but this is indefensible.

Do you have a link to a story regarding these updated terms? I'd like to send it to my brother to reassure him that future purchases are safe.

EDIT: I found a current document on Apple's support page that makes it clear that previous purchases can disappear:



Now how do you back up a movie purchased on AppleTV if you don't own a computer? Apple sells the AppleTV as not needing a computer and indeed many homes these days only have an AppleTV and an iPad. How do you back up previously purchased content if you don't own a Mac and the AppleTV doesn't have internal storage?

That is an outdated article - if you load up iTunes in the Cloud ALL OF YOUR MOVIES ARE THERE - I am assuming you are in the United States - because that feature may not be global yet

When iTunes in the Cloud launched I reclaimed 10-20 old movies that were long lost - this is not an issue anymore unless you are outside the USA
 

charlituna

macrumors G3
Jun 11, 2008
9,636
816
Los Angeles, CA
Some people here are missing the point. Yes, of course Apple has covered their ass and included disclaimers in the fine print. But at the same time they're falsely claiming that we're in a post PC world and that you don't need a computer.

1. They addressed the possibility up front, your brother just wasn't paying attention. Ignorance of the contents of things you agree to, just like the law, is not the other parties issue. It's yours

2. No one at Apple ever said you don't need a computer. That's like the claim that Steve Jobs said styluses are useless and dumb. Cook's statement was that e traditional desktop/notebook computer was no longer the center of folks computing world. Not the same thing as saying they aren't needed

----------

I had purchased over $1000 worth of music from the iTunes store and still have every email receipt to prove it, but a few years ago I lost my hard drive containing my iTunes library. I tried the "Check for Available Downloads" option in iTunes and nothing showed up. I contacted Apple and was told that none of it was available anymore. I checked and the music was still there. Apple then told me it must have changed format or something, but that I would have to purchase my music again. AND this was before the cloud. iTunes store has always been that way. Total BS

If you bought it before the whole 'in the cloud' then you agreed to terms that let you download it once and if you didn't back it up etc that was on you. And yes much of the music did change formats. To the iTunes plus files! which were different than what you bought which was removed from the store en masse etc.

You agreed to the one time thing when you bought the music so Apple just played by the rules.

----------

Now how do you back up a movie purchased on AppleTV if you don't own a computer?

That is your issue not Apple's. They have made it very clear that if you want a guarantee of access you need to download the files etc. How you achieve that is for you to figure out.
 

RollTide1017

macrumors 6502
Sep 28, 2009
264
102
Montgomery, AL
This is why I'll never stop buying Blu-rays. Most come with digital copies that I can use in iTunes or UV and if they disappear from those services I still have the disc.

I'll never trust digital distribution 100%, I'll always want a physical copy. I still buy CDs, not for all my music but I still get CDs for some of it. At least music is easier to backup then movies because of the smaller file size, I have 3 backups of my music collection at all times.
 

donrsd

macrumors 6502
Dec 16, 2011
269
1
South Florida
I still don't know why some of my digital copies that USED TO SHOW on my Apple TV aren't there anymore!!??

Off the top of my head.....

  • ACT OF VALOR
  • GOOD WILL HUNTING
  • RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

:mad::mad::mad::mad:
 

brentsg

macrumors 68040
Oct 15, 2008
3,578
936
I still don't know why some of my digital copies that USED TO SHOW on my Apple TV aren't there anymore!!??

Off the top of my head.....

  • ACT OF VALOR
  • GOOD WILL HUNTING
  • RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

:mad::mad::mad::mad:

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is certainly still there for me.
 

thefredelement

macrumors 65816
Apr 10, 2012
1,193
646
New York
Couldn't Apple just keep a list of what account gets what movies? It's not a users fault for not filling up their hard drive with stuff that they say will be available in the cloud for later consumption. It really doesn't make much sense, I realize Apple is working inside of a pretty crazy system with all this media but it's really all about the users at the end of the day.

We're in a cloud based, solid state local storage world these days, I don't want to invest hundreds into a physical media backup solution.
 

musicpenguy

macrumors 68000
Oct 29, 2006
1,824
734
Couldn't Apple just keep a list of what account gets what movies? It's not a users fault for not filling up their hard drive with stuff that they say will be available in the cloud for later consumption. It really doesn't make much sense, I realize Apple is working inside of a pretty crazy system with all this media but it's really all about the users at the end of the day.

We're in a cloud based, solid state local storage world these days, I don't want to invest hundreds into a physical media backup solution.

They currently do that perhaps download codes from BR don't have the same access rights as purchases because I stream content not for sale because Apple knows what I've bought.
 

Larsennet

macrumors member
Dec 15, 2010
52
4
The movie "Carrie" has been removed from my purchased list and it's not hidden. I have about 160 movies and that is the only one missing, not sure why.
 

Larsennet

macrumors member
Dec 15, 2010
52
4
Did you download the movie ?

Yes, so it's not a big issue just inconvenient.

It's odd because the movie is on iTunes but now only to rent. Yet I have Transformers still available to download from the cloud but completely removed from the store.
 
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