[bacchus]

Seriously outer mongolia looks to have the iTunes Music Store before we do, what the hell is going on?

Anyone have any further updates?

[hmurchison2001]

Problem with dealing with Canada is that your equivalent to the RIAA doesn't realize your countries population is smaller than the US' top 3 states combined. iTunes will be there.

[dtriska]

What's the rush, bacchus? Sure, it'd be nice to have for the convenience and whatnot, but we can buy CDs for less than what Americans are paying on the iTMS.

[wataru]

Originally posted by dtriska:
What's the rush, bacchus? Sure, it'd be nice to have for the convenience and whatnot, but we can buy CDs for less than what Americans are paying on the iTMS.

But the Canadian iTMS would sell for less than what you're paying for CDs.

[Disgruntled Head of C-3PO]

They already have a Canadian music store, and it is cheap as hell!

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/12351

[Mac Write]

Originally posted by Disgruntled Head of C-3PO:
They already have a Canadian music store, and it is cheap as hell!

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/12351

Uh that's called piracy.

If you want to Legally buy downloadable Music, you can't on the Mac in Canada, only on the PC. I will only buy un-restricted CD's higher quality, and the formats not going to change unlike download music which will have the formats and quality continuely change over the next decade guarantied.

[wataru]

Originally posted by Mac Write:
Uh that's called piracy.

If you want to Legally buy downloadable Music, you can't on the Mac in Canada, only on the PC. I will only buy un-restricted CD's higher quality, and the formats not going to change unlike download music which will have the formats and quality continuely change over the next decade guarantied.

Uh, I'm no expert on Canadian law, but aren't you guys taxed on blank media specifically so that downloading from P2P networks is legal?

[dtriska]

Originally posted by wataru:
But the Canadian iTMS would sell for less than what you're paying for CDs.

I doubt that. If anything, it'd be the same price, and I'd rather have the CD if that's the case.

Originally posted by wataru:
Uh, I'm no expert on Canadian law, but aren't you guys taxed on blank media specifically so that downloading from P2P networks is legal?

The levy on blank media doesn't make downloading from P2P networks legal.

Canadian copyright law allows downloading as long as the music is for personal use. In the Federal Court case that brought this to everyone's attention, the judge also ruled that Internet users' privacy trumped the recording industry's attempt to force ISPs to identify its users; thus, for the time being, people can also upload with impunity.

The levy was set up back in the 1980s to compensate artists for what they saw as lost income from the combination of tape recorders and radio. Again, copyright law allowed you to tape songs from the radio, but it was technically illegal to pass those tapes on to someone else. Since it's impractical to fight casual sharing, the government set up the levy as a compromise. Listeners get to tape and share music, and artists still get paid.

Of course, I'm not a lawyer, but that's my understanding of the whole issue.

[Disgruntled Head of C-3PO]

Originally posted by Mac Write:
Uh that's called piracy.

No, it is not illegal in Canada to do so and the iPod has $25 tax on it for this reason. Same goes for blank media.

So download for free all you likes.

[thesearcher]

From todays financial Post:

"Music giant readies Canadian launch
ITunes, Apple Computer Inc.'s hugely popular online music service, is gearing up for a Canadian launch that could come as early as next month, music industry sources say. "

It goes on to say that it may be as late as February if Apple can't get the marketing blitz ready on time. Apple officials declined to comment 'on rumour', but Puretracks sees the competition as a good thing, and that their song quality is better than what iTunes USA offers. Puretracks also hints at upgrading their service to compete. (Which hopefully means Mac/iPod compatibility. They blame the current lack of compatibility on M$ Media Player.)