News

iTunes Store Blocked in China Over Tibet

Wednesday, August 20th, 2008 at 10:50 AM - by

U.S. citizens in China are having a hard time accessing Apple's iTunes Store now that word has surfaced that Olympic athletes have been listening to the pro-Tibetan album Songs for Tibet. The album was originally available exclusively through the iTunes Store, and was seen by some as a protest against China's control over the region, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.


Songs for Tibet

Users accessing the U.S. version of the iTunes Store from China had previously been able to purchase and download music without any problems, but shortly after Campaign for Tibet announced on Monday that over 40 Olympic athletes in North America, Europe, and Beijing had downloaded the album, users lost the ability to connect to the music download service.

Proceeds from album sales have been earmarked for "peace-related projects that are dear to the Dalai Lama," which may have played a role in the sudden problems iTunes users have been experiencing.

Officials in China have not confirmed that the government is behind the sudden problems iTunes users are experiencing, but considering the country's negative stance towards pro-Tibet products and statements, it's possible that the Great Firewall of China is involved.

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Tiger said:

member since 17 Jun 2003 with 1013 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Aug 20, 2008 12:44 pm

Crowing too loudly apparently.

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Smurfman said:

member since 23 Aug 2007 with 8 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Aug 20, 2008 12:54 pm

wow... China is a scary country these days. The power the government has over that country is astounding! There are so many persecutions of various shapes and sizes going on there it would make most people's head spin.

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geoduck said:

member since 30 Dec 2003 with 1921 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Aug 20, 2008 1:09 pm

Getting banned in China is (IMO) a badge of honor these days.

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Sir Harry Flashman said:

member since 08 Feb 2007 with 792 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Aug 20, 2008 1:36 pm

geoduck wrote:
Getting banned in China is (IMO) a badge of honor these days.

Perhaps that is a good reason for Apple to build assembly plants in the USA.

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Sir Harry Flashman said:

member since 08 Feb 2007 with 792 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Aug 20, 2008 1:45 pm

Smurfman wrote:
wow... China is a scary country these days. The power the government has over that country is astounding! There are so many persecutions of various shapes and sizes going on there it would make most people's head spin.

II am currently rereading Flashman and The Dragon, China was a scary place back in the 1860s. Flashman, of course, is a fictional character, but the stories about him are based on historical events and the people that were there.

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geoduck said:

member since 30 Dec 2003 with 1921 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Aug 20, 2008 1:52 pm

Sir Harry Flashman wrote:
I am currently rereading Flashman and The Dragon.

So is THAT where you got your screen name?

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Sir Harry Flashman said:

member since 08 Feb 2007 with 792 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Aug 20, 2008 2:25 pm

geoduck wrote:
Sir Harry Flashman wrote:
I am currently rereading Flashman and The Dragon.

So is THAT where you got your screen name?

Yes, he is an alter-ego. Not the cowardly and bully part of Flashman, but the guy who has been to a lot of remote places, played a big part in historical events, got laid a lot. I have done some of that stuff during my 21 years of Naval service, but no where near as much as I would have like to. Anyway the Flashman stories are an entertaining and easy read, but lead me on to explore details of the events. From Flashman and the Dragon I read Devil Soldier, a biography of Frederick Ward , who was an American who became a General in the Imperial Chinese Army. You are a writer, if you haven't read any of the stories I am sure that you would enjoy them.

I wasn't going to keep the Flashman handle, but now I got all of these stars from participating on the blog

So what is a Geoduck?

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Aug 20, 2008 2:47 pm

Sir Harry Flashman wrote:
geoduck wrote:
Sir Harry Flashman wrote:
I am currently rereading Flashman and The Dragon.

So is THAT where you got your screen name?

Yes, he is an alter-ego. Not the cowardly and bully part of Flashman, but the guy who has been to a lot of remote places, played a big part in historical events, got laid a lot. I have done some of that stuff during my 21 years of Naval service, but no where near as much as I would have like to. Anyway the Flashman stories are an entertaining and easy read, but lead me on to explore details of the events. From Flashman and the Dragon I read Devil Soldier, a biography of Frederick Ward , who was an American who became a General in the Imperial Chinese Army. You are a writer, if you haven't read any of the stories I am sure that you would enjoy them.

I wasn't going to keep the Flashman handle, but now I got all of these stars from participating on the blog

So what is a Geoduck?

A clam with a GIANT appendage!!!

(ok, it is actually the clam's neck)

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Xandor said:

member since 20 Aug 2008 with 1 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Aug 20, 2008 3:09 pm

Unlikely this will slow PRC based assembly of iPhone & iPods.

Just think, getting paid $50 per month for Apple's PRC assembly-line at 10 hrs a day.

Then you can save your CNY for a year or two to get your PRC iPhone. No worries about 3G filled with naught music.

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