Country-specific app store - what!!!

This is the way the App Store (and the iTunes Store) has always been. Different countries have different licensing and copyright laws. Not all developers offer their apps for sale in every country. What does seem to be a more recent development is that Apple is starting to enforce the provision that you have to be in the country where you have an account at the time of download.

Nothing changed.

That is how it has always been.

From iTunes terms:

The iTunes Service is available to you only in the United States, its territories, and possessions. You agree not to use or attempt to use the iTunes Service from outside these locations. Apple may use technologies to verify your compliance.

Ian Lancaster wrote:

Will Apple read this and find a way around this problem? And it is a real problem; Apple and my service provider allow me to use my iPhone anywhere in the world, so why can't I use apps that are useful to wherever I am in the world?

The problem is a whole lot bigger than Apple. International copyright law is not something I would get involved with for all the money in the world. It's a mess.

You can submit your feedback here:

http://www.apple.com/feedback

Best of luck.

The Problem is not something Apple can solve. Developers may not be able to provide Apps outisde of certain countries.

As Meg suggests the copy right law or even their own internal policies may prevent the NY Subway map from being available outside the US store.

Apple does not itself restrict the availability of apps. It just allows developers to determine where their apps can be sold.

Though i would question why an airline would not have its app available outisde the country. Unless its a local airline that has no international flights, in whch case they could choose not to make it available outside the U.S. store for whatever reason.

Strange - I have just obtained the NYC Subway map from the UK store - via iTunes on my PC

Apple did not used to enforce the geographic restrictions as rigoruously as they do now. Before I knew better, about 4 years ago, I downloaded an app from the U.S. App Store while traveling in Japan. I doubt it would work now.

Personally, I think copyright laws in the U.S. are a disaster and international ones may be worse. However, this is what we have to work with.

I'm sure you can trace this idiocy back to the lawyers. I get these restrictions around purchased apps, be free ones? Really?