iTuning Out

Nice to see that the iTunes Music Store is finally available in Canada, a year and a half after its launch in the US and after launching in various European countries, including Belgium, Greece and Portugal. Apparently Apple felt the Belgian market was a bigger priority. What's up with that?

When I downloaded my first iTunes track last week, I had a brainstorm. I'm in the midst of trying to put together another Christmas CD, and I thought instead of frantically searching the web, downloading "illegally", or buying entire Christmas CDs just to get that one needed song, I could use the iTunes Music Store to find the songs I need, and buy them individually! Oh the joys of the digital commercial age (and the rosy glow of ethical decision-making that it bestows!).

Except...
In reading up on the fine print with respect to computer authorization and Apple's Fairplay encryption technology, I was confused about the number of times I could burn a track purchased through iTunes. So I asked the Apple:

According to your description of Fairplay it "...allows unlimited burning for individual songs and lets you burn playlists up to 7 times each." My question: If I create a playlist comprised of songs from my own CD collection and one or two songs purchased from iTunes Music Store, will I be able to burn that playlist an unlimited number of time, or just 7 times?

This is the response I received:

Dear Jim,

Thank you for contacting the iTunes Music Store.

In accordance with the contracts between the artists, the record companies, and the iTunes Music Store, you may burn unchanged playlists up to seven times each even if they only contain only a single title from the iTunes Music Store.

You may, however, enjoy unlimited synching with your iPods, and you may burn unlimited CDs of individual songs.

For more information about burning CDs from playlists or making new playlists, open iTunes and choose iTunes & Music Store Help from the Help menu. Click Contents, then click Burning CDs or DVDs.

Sincerely,

The iTunes Music Store Team

Well, that's just wonderful. I can burn "unlimited CDs of individual songs." Yes, I love doing that. Who doesn't mind wasting entire CD-Rs by burning only one song on each one? Seems though that the key phrase in their reply is where they say "you may burn unchanged playlists up to seven times each even if they only contain only[sic] a single title from the iTunes Music Store." But what does that mean? If I alter the positions of the last 2 tracks after every 7th burning, can I then burn the playlist 7 more times, then switch them back, and on and on?

Does anyone have any experience with this? Seems pretty stupid to me. If I bought the damn song, I should be able to burn it as many times as I want. I likely would have used their store for several more purchases, but now they've driven me back to the P2P realm. Seems contrary to the whole idea if you ask me.