So glad I found this thread. I have a related problem that branches into yet another related problem.
We started out with one Original iTunes Apple ID for the whole family. My oldest was then 8 or so. Now he's 19. A couple of years ago, wanting to pay for his own music, he made a Oldest Son Apple ID with his own credit card. (He also, like the rest of us, has a me.com email. We will use those for non-purchase related iCloud functions.) But now his music library is attached to two iTunes IDs, each with thouseands of songs, and his computer is authorized to play both. That never seemed like a big issue before. But as he upgrades to ios5 and iCloud, it's a conundrum. It would be great if he could merge those two accounts... (because, as I understand it, then everything is backed up together, and if he were to lose everything, he could get it back without waiting 90 days, correct?)
But... even if he COULD combine those two accounts...
Myself and my other son, now 15, STILL use the Original iTunes ID. Already looking ahead, I would like for him to one day also use his own credit card... which means he'll have to create Youngest Son Apple ID. And here we go again.
But surely even if Apple allows merging of two accounts, they will not ever allow songs from one account to split in half... or thirds... and each of those "married" to that person's mobile me account.
Do you see where I'm going?
Eventually kids grow up and, hopefully, PAY FOR THEIR OWN stuff. And that means a new Apple ID associated with a new credit card. My kids are first generation iTunes kids. But more and more people will have this issue. When I made a family account (and by the way, thankfully I have only purchased about 200 songs on that account. I might actually re-buy those just to be excised from my kids.)
Is there something I'm missing? Is this not another future problem that our family is obviously amongst the first to contend with?
I hope this makes sense.