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iTunes Canada - June 15th too?

It seems the iTMS gift certificate has dissappeared from the Canadian iPod Store page 🙁

Dare I fan the flames again to say that this was a pre-release error? 🙂



I really want to believe that the Canadian iTMS is coming soon, but the skeptic in me is saying I'd only be kidding myself. It was more likely a copy and paste error from the US site. 🙁
 
As I mentioned before, the US Apple Store site has the exact same graphic as the Canadian Apple Store, and it is also unclickable. It was just an oversight; the two pages are obviously based on the same template.

Now that Apple has gone in and removed the graphic from the Canadian Apple Store, I think it's apparent that it was just a simple mistake and not a portend of a pending announcement.

Which is really too bad.
 
phantompigger said:
As I mentioned before, the US Apple Store site has the exact same graphic as the Canadian Apple Store, and it is also unclickable. It was just an oversight; the two pages are obviously based on the same template.

Now that Apple has gone in and removed the graphic from the Canadian Apple Store, I think it's apparent that it was just a simple mistake and not a portend of a pending announcement.

Which is really too bad.
Click to expand...

Darn rights it's too bad! We're clamoring over it... begging, keeping this ridiculous thread on the MacRumors front page by refusing to stop posting. If only all of you would stop posting!


Oh...
wait...

This post is going to bring it to the top of this list again... meaning it will be here for another week or so.... oh well.... iTunes Canada, JUNE 15TH, 2009!
 
iTunes Music Store for Canada in the Fall?

"The Globe and Mail reports that the iTunes Music Store may be available to Canadian users as early as this Fall, after the CRIA" completes negotiations to set up a framework for paying music publishers and composers whose music is downloaded on pay-for-play system. That will allow Canadian-based services to start operations, he said, and allow U.S. systems such as Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes 'music store' to expand into Canada."

Crap, then I realized that this article is from Monday, July 14, 2003.

That was a YEAR ago. This is the future, it should be possible by now.

Where's my flying car?
 
I know, I'm annoying.

Had to keep this thread near the top of the list for the long weekend.

Those of you are not directly affected by a Canadian iTunes Music Store may not know why its a long weekend, though.
 
Wanna buy from iTunes?

There is ONE way:

Go to ebay, look for someone that sells US iTunes gift certificate. Purchase one for any amount.

Once you redeem your credits, you can now purchase, with a fake US address, from the iTunes music store. I personally did it.

There you go, enjoy!

Note: Don't forget! The exchange rate is still 73%!
 
Hmm, saw this interesting article from Macnn.
E-Data Corporation today announced that a world-wide agreement for past and future royalties has been reached with Apple for a license under E-Data's European patent EP 0 195 098 B-1, also known as "the Freeny patent," and its counterpart patent in Canada. The Freeny patent covers the downloading and recording of information, such as music, from a computer onto a tangible object, such as CDs, DVDs and MP3 players. The company says the iTunes platform enables Apple customers to download individual music tracks for a fee via the iTunes Music Store, charging that the software infringed on its 20-year old patent.
Click to expand...
Maybe this is one reason why we haven't seen a Canadian iTMS yet. Now that it's settled maybe Apple can advance it's plans for a Canadian iTMS opening! 🙂

It could be wishful thinking, but I'm getting a little impatient, I've been peeping at the puretracks sight, but haven't bought anything there...yet. I've been holding out for the Canadian iTMS, but I don't know if I can wait much longer. 😱 🙁
 
Raid said:
It could be wishful thinking, but I'm getting a little impatient, I've been peeping at the puretracks sight, but haven't bought anything there...yet. I've been holding out for the Canadian iTMS, but I don't know if I can wait much longer. 😱 🙁
Click to expand...

That site doesn't work with Macs. I bought a big mac which led me to that site, and they said that it won't work with the mac. I think they sell encrypted WMA files which you can't play on a mac or iPod.

GO iTunes Canada GO!
 
Do you need a U.S. billing address and credit card on file in order to use a gift certificate or prepaid card?

I notice that I cannot even download the free song without a credit card on file (which I can't add even with a fake U.S. address).
 
And to think I was just today getting worried about this thread getting too low on the front page list!

Well, at least it's nice to see someone else being the one to put it back up to the top for the next few weeks.
 
Squire said:
By the way, how does NAFTA fit into this? I thought it was a cinch to do business across the border.
Click to expand...
(answering a wee bit late, but this thread keeps bumping up, and...)

The simple fact is that NAFTA has an exemption for "cultural" products, and that it is extremely risky for a US-owned company to offer media products in Canada. Time-Warner had its Sports Illustrated franchise banned from Canada after a locally-owned publisher asked the government to do so in order to favor its copy. The same happened to the Country Music Television network.

In brief, a Canadian-owned company can clone iTMS and apply to have Apple's version banned from the country at any time. Therefore there will be a lot more involved than securing music licenses; there is also a need to make business arrangements to thwart having the business essentially nationalized.

I do understand why Canada has these loopholes, there is a relatively small population trying very hard to maintain its own identity (or really, identities) while living next door to a country with the same language (for most) and disproportionate influence. Like all forms of protectionism, there are good and bad aspects. One of the bad parts is that a smaller market with higher barriers becomes a lower priority for foreign investors than larger markets that are easier and safer to enter.

I'm sure that Apple will be there as soon as they have the red tape untangled.
 
Thanks for the informative post, iMeowbot. That information seems to ring a bell now.

How about this question: Is there a certain percentage of inventory in a record store that must be Canadian content? If so, could the iTMS simply have the same percentages and be done with it? Basically I'm asking how iTMS differs from, say, HMV or Tower Records.

Squire
 
Well, HMV is a UK company, so it doesn't embody the threat of Yankee imperialism, even if it does carry the same old stuff =) In the case of Tower Records, the Canadian stores are run under franchise by a sort-of-separate company based in Toronto.

The SI example was kind of like the Tower arrangement. The publisher for the Canadian edition was based in Montreal, and purchasing most of its content from Time via a satellite feed. As you can see, this bears a strong resemblance to iTMS distribution. The government in Canada slapped an 80% tax on all the magazine's ad revenue, effectively putting it out of business. The rationale was that it contained less than 80% local content.

Years after SI Canada was successfully destroyed, those particular restrictions were found to be in violation of GATT. That doesn't necessarily mean that iTunes is free of worries, but at least the rules are a bit clearer now. Apple do need to take care to set up ownership details, catalog and distribution methods in just the right way.
 
I have found PureTracks.com to be a nice substitute for the time being. You must burn the WMA files to CD then rip them through iTunes but it works and they are Canadian (it works on a PC but I have not tried on an Apple). I actually use the Sympatico Music Store (which is powered by PureTracks.com like the Future Shop Music Store is) because Sympatico members get a discount.

As for the Canadian content rule - look through the iTMS - there is a ton of Canadian content. Avril Lavigne, Barenaked Ladies, Nickleback, Nelly Furtado, Tragically Hip, Metric, The Guess Who, etc., etc. I wonder if they can even download their own songs!
 
It was mentioned in another forum or maybe another page of this thread that the Canadian Content law is only for broadcast and stuff, but does not carry over into retail, by the way.
 
B. McKechnie said:
I have found PureTracks.com to be a nice substitute for the time being.
Click to expand...

+1 on Puretracks.com substitute. I've been indulging in my downloadable music cravings for about 2 months now (sounds like a recovering addict falling off the wagon, I know) and between some plugins and freeware for XP, converting songs is manageable.
 
Oh come on Apple look I just got my new credit card today, you want the money come to Canada🙂

Viv
 
If they launch iTMS Canada, would they have a big sorta opening thing like they did in London, where Steve announced the opening of iTMS in England, France and Germany?
 
mattthemutt said:
If they launch iTMS Canada, would they have a big sorta opening thing like they did in London, where Steve announced the opening of iTMS in England, France and Germany?
Click to expand...

At this point I'm more inclined to say that they will just mention it in passing in thier "Hot news" link. 🙁 I wonder if we can get any offical response as to when it would open... Personaly I don't care if there is big hype surrounding the opening (all though it's good marketing), I just want my Canadian iTMS.

Maybe we can get Dire Straights to rework their MTV song
.... I want my
I want my iTMS...

hmmm it would need a lot of rework... 🙂
 
So any bets for something being anounced next week in Paris about ITMS for Canada?

It must be soon?

Viv
 
Seeming as it's hosted in Paris... no. If the rumors for iTunes in other countries are still so far away, I don't see a country with our relatively small user base seeing iTunes anytime soon. Hopefully I'm wrong.
 
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