Deauthorizing - Once per year rule?

Question

Deauthorizing - Once per year rule?

Hello,

I have run into a problem with deauthorizing my computers on my iTunes account. I work in a research lab that is constantly setting up, working on, breaking, and reformatting machines. I install iTunes on them so I can listen to my music while I work. I have paid for over $700 worth of music legally through iTunes and now I can not listen to it anymore because Apple only allows me to "deauthorize" once a year?

Why is there this rule and how can I get around it? It is 2006, I can't believe it is a huge hit on their servers to allow accounts to be deauthorized dynamically. I paid for this music. I am a responsible adult. Why can't I be trusted to deauthorize my machines?

Any insight or help on this frustrating issue would be great. I am starting to see why people are working their way over to file sharing programs like Acquisition.

Thanks,

Ryan

PowerBook G4, Mac OS X (10.4.4)

Posted on Jan 24, 2006 6:56 AM

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Answer 1

macmenno

Level 6

10,080 points

Jan 24, 2006 7:56 AM in response to Ryan Scott Bardsley

This article will tell you how it works.
You can deauthorize every single computer. However, if you forgot to do that, before changing the inner works of one of them (RAM, HD), you can wind up with multiple authorizations on a single computer.

M

17' iMac fp 800 MHz 768 MB RAM Mac OS X (10.3.9) Several ext. HD (backup and data)

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Answer 2

varjak paw

Level 10

182,668 points

Jan 24, 2006 10:00 AM in response to Ryan Scott Bardsley

I think you misunderstand. The "once per year" limit only applies to situations where you have filled up the five-system authorization total and want to deauthorize a system to which you no longer have access. As long as you have access to the computer, you can deauthorize as many times as you want, so just remember to deauthorize a system before it's taken away or reformatted and you won't have any issues.

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Answer 3

Jan 24, 2006 12:13 PM in response to varjak paw

I do not have access to the 5 computers anymore. So I would need to "deauthorize all." I guess I don't see what the big deal is with deauthorizing... I paid for the music, I want to listen to it again. Now I can't until August.

This is ridiculous.

Ryan

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Answer 4

varjak paw

Level 10

182,668 points

Jan 24, 2006 12:53 PM in response to Ryan Scott Bardsley

Such limitations are required by the record companies. Every legal download store carrying major label content has similar restrictions, many of them more severe.

Sorry, but if you didn't deauthorize your systems before they left your control and have already used up your one-time mass deauthorization, you may be out of luck. You can try contacting the iTunes Music Store customer support department through the form at the bottom of this web page and explaining the problem to them; perhaps they'll grant an exception this time.

For the future, keep the deauthorization requirements in mind before you let a computer out of your hands. Or stick to importing from CDs, which as of today have no authorization limitations (though that may change in the not-too-distant future).

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