Maybe this will encourage Apple to push their iBook store beyond USA more promptly.
You do know that it's not Apple that is (often) held back at marketting Videos, TV, Music & Books to locations outside the US.
All of those media have a nasty habit of selling 'DISTRIBUTION RIGHT' (often exclusives) to local companies in the country and/or region in question. This has been the SOP (standard operation procedure) for a very long time. Some of the HUGE corporations have actually gone out and created their own "XYZ-Company-UK" or "XYZ-Company-FR" or JP or IT or EU etc etc (look no further than Apple for a good example). These companies are independent arms of the parent company but still responsible for the sales of 'their merchandise' in those countries and/or regions.
Why? Well its been said that who knows the region (and can sell to a region) better than someone who lives and breaths in the region and there's a lot of truth to that which is why its still done to some degree today.
What does this mean... Well in the case of 'exclusives' the Book, Movie, TV, Music, etc are UNABLE to Allow Apple to sell into said countries could you imagine paying a handsome sum to a record company for exclusive 'distribution rights' and then see Apple selling the same material to YOUR PROTECTED REGION? First thing you'd do is call your lawyer and the second thing you'd do is try and figure out how you'll spend all the money from the lawsuit you are about to file.
I've said this before and I'll say it again..
- Do you think Apple LIKES not being able to sell iTunes content worldwide?
- Do you think Apple LIKES having to maintain different 'catalogs of merchandise' for each country? Since 'song ABC' might be okay to sell to the entire EU except for France (due to some long term exclusive contract the record company made to a French distributer that happens to include 'song ABC').
If Apple had it's way they would LOVE to sell EVERYTHING to EVERYONE and cut out all the country specific catalogs and tracking. Unfortunately Apple doesn't have any say in the matter other than PERHAPS convincing the corporations that OWN the content to NOT do these exclusives anymore. However a LOT of people all across the world would be extremely upset if their business was suddenly cut off from new content developed in the US and instead it was ALL being sold by iTunes instead.
So yea... when you see people cry about APPLE getting off the stick and start selling to THIER country remind them of this... Cause it's more often than not... Not Apples fault.