Separate AppleIDs for separate iTunes Stores - Authorization Issue

Question

Separate AppleIDs for separate iTunes Stores - Authorization Issue

I have two separate AppleIDs for two separate iTunes stores (Swiss and UK). After having downloaded a movie from the UK store today (Star Trek), I switched back to the Swiss store as I would normally do, then tried to reconnect to iTunes Match (as I also routinely do). Keep getting the following message:

What's going on? I've been doing this for years because I buy English-language films, which are not always available on the Swiss store. I've never had any "association" issues.

Any ideas or, even better, solutions?

Thanks!

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4), x 2

Posted on Sep 2, 2013 10:25 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

King_Penguin

Level 10

334,138 points

Sep 2, 2013 10:29 AM in response to Roger Kaufmann

When you use iTunes Match, automatic downloads or redownload an account's past purchases then you risk tying the computer or device to that account for 90 days : http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4627

You can either wait until the 90 days have counted down, or try contacting iTunes Support and see if they can remove the association for you : http://www.apple.com/support/itunes/contact/ - click on Contact iTunes Store Support on the right-hand side of the page

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Answer 2

Sep 2, 2013 10:39 AM in response to King_Penguin

Thanks King_Penguin,

That makes sense (sorta). The other day I had to re-download the new Oz movie (from the Swiss store), as Apple had advised me that there was an error on it. The new Star Trek film didn't download automatically, as I'm routinely logged into the Swiss store (pre-ordered it from the UK store), so I switched to the Uk store this evening to get ST, only to find the message above ... and again, when I logged back into the Swiss store.

Will contact iTunes Support, I guess 😮

Appreciate the quick help!

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Answer 3

Sep 4, 2013 9:35 AM in response to Roger Kaufmann

Following up on this one, iTunes Support was able to de-authorize my iMac from my UK account so I'm back on iTunes Match on my Swiss account now. Importantly, they said they would do this only once, as it's against policy 😊...

...which begs the next questions: is this a new policy and how can I continue to use two accounts? I've been switching back and forth without an issue for years and rely on the UK store for English-language movies. Granted, the Swiss store has more and more multi-lingual movies, but still.

Any advice?

Thanks!

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Answer 4

King_Penguin

Level 10

334,138 points

Sep 4, 2013 9:51 AM in response to Roger Kaufmann

The terms of use of each country's store state that you need to be in that country to use its store, and as far as I know it's always been like that. If there is a particular film that you want that is in the UK but not the Swiss store then you could try requesting that it be added to the Swiss store (though the film studio would need to grant Apple a license to have it there) : http://www.apple.com/feedback/itunes.html

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Answer 5

Sep 4, 2013 11:28 PM in response to King_Penguin

Hi King_Penguin,

Agreed and understood, but I still can't (or couldn't) figure out why this "problem" hasn't shown in the past ... until I reread your comment below:

When you use iTunes Match, automatic downloads or redownload an account's past purchases then you risk tying the computer or device to that account for 90 days

I now figure that, since iTunes Match noch includes movies, it may have triggered this behavior. I don't buy music in the UK store, so it never showed up until I re-downloaded that 'Oz' movie, following an information from Apple. Does that make sense?

I guess I'll have to limit my purchases to the Swiss store from now on. Requesting that a movie be added to the Swiss store is possible, but not likely to be actioned. I would assume that licensing issues would be at the core of any differences between the two stores.

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Answer 6

King_Penguin

Level 10

334,138 points

Sep 4, 2013 11:30 PM in response to Roger Kaufmann

Redownloading the film was probably what associated that account with your computer. And yes, all content is licensed to Apple to sell on a country-by-country basis, so each country therefore has its own store and you need to be in a country to use its store.

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