The little iTunes that couldn’t …
How can a digital catalouge expire? I placed an album in my shopping cart, waiting for a time when I could be bothered to make a purchase (Roxette – Don’t bore us get to the chorus, if you must know – there is no accounting for taste, especially not mine :P), anyways back to the rant – how can a music catalouge stored on computers expire?
A digital catalouge should have the items contained therein timing out or expiring, while I am not so opposed to price changes (over time) something just disappearing without any warning that it might cease to be available (no indication that it was a special once off, or time limited offer). This is discraceful, most music stores if requested will go to their back catalouge and see if they can get you a CD that they do not stock.
A small worry is that this may lead to music that expires, times out or degrades after a number of plays. A bigger worry is that a format shift will occur and Apple will cease supporting the current content protected AAC format. I think its time for me to stop buying into this digital music con, until I know that my rights and ability to play purchased music are opened up. Have a read of this article (point 5 specifically) and see if you could see yourself locked out of your music at some point in the future (2, 3, 5, 10) years from now – I know that I have older (7 years or so) CD’s that while I do not play on a regular basis I still enjoy from time to time, I’d not like to discover next time I try and play one of them that they’d refuse to play because my device “Was not authorised” – not something I have to face with a CD, sure, but what about my downloaded digital music?