iPod Is using the US Music Store outside of the US illegal?

[Kidman13]

I was in the US a couple of months ago where I bought a iTunes Gift card, which I credited to a US account I made. Now I have since then moved to Europe but I still have like $10 on the account and so I therefor casually use it sometimes to buy TV shows and such that they don't have in the Euro Music Store.

Now my question is, that is it illegal to use my account to make purchases in the US Music store outside of the US, and if so what the penalty might be?

Thanks in advance.

 

[iMeowbot]

We're definitely getting into technicalities here. This is all about royalty streams and what agency gets the right to collect and distribute them. It's really more a problem for Apple than for you.

The short version is that no, Apple don't really have the right to sell you songs outside a given store's physical borders.

The longer story is that it would be perfectly fine for them to sell you those tracks if you took a trip to that store's country and then bought the tracks. It would also be perfectly fine for you to keep using your tracks after you left the country.

Once you've bought them, it's water under the bridge.

 

[dextertangocci]

I do, because the way I see it, it's the same as if I go to the USA and buy the songs on a CD there or the tv shows on a DVD.

As far as I'm concerned, I am paying for the music and the tv shows, and it is perfectly legal

 

[Kidman13]

Allright but what you say pertains to the files I have downloaded while I was in the US. But what about the files I download while in Europe from the US music store?

I mean it doesn't even allow to change my store cause when I went to change my store from the US to Europe it says that because I still have credit on my account I cannot change it.

So that would make it legal to just keep purchasing off the US store right?

 

[iMeowbot]

Yep, that's one of the silly technicalities built into their system. You put down a deposit as a US resident, so as far as they're concerned that's what you are. Like I said, this is more an Apple problem than yours.

 

[Kidman13]

Allright, well thanks.

The reason I asked this is because I read this:

U.S. SALES ONLY

Purchases from the iTunes Music Store are available only in the United States and are not available in any other location. You agree not to use or attempt to use the service from outside of the available territory. Apple may use technologies to verify such compliance.

________________________________________

And on another note, am I the only one who does this or are there more people doing this? You know just hypothetically.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

Definitley not illegal.

 

[dextertangocci]

Apple would make so much more money if they offered gift certificates for sale to countries that don' have the luxury of the ITMS, but of coarse, they can't, all because of these stupid record companies