My great-grandmother’s name was Eula. It’s a beautiful name, appropriately so since it means “good speaking” (eu-lalia). It’s also my grandmother’s middle name, so I’m quite fond of it. But the name has been damaged, I’m afraid, by a different EULA altogether….
I typically never read EULAs (those Terms of Agreement that one clicks through when installing software). But tonight, as I was redeeming an iTunes gift from a friend in the states, I took the time to see that I was to agree to the following two items (among a much larger list):
U.S. SALES ONLY
Purchases or rentals (as applicable) from the iTunes Store are available to you only in the United States and are not available in any other location. You agree not to use or attempt to use the iTunes Store from outside of the available territory. Apple may use technologies to verify such compliance.
GIFTS
Gifts purchased from the iTunes Store in the United States may be purchased only for, and redeemed only by, residents of the United States. Gifts are non-refundable. Gifts may not be purchased with iTunes Cards, Gift Certificates or Allowance Accounts. Gifts may not be used for Movie Rentals or Apps.
As an American studying in Canada, this is frustrating. This is the kind of stupid thing that wastes time, which is rarely in abundance these days. According to the second paragraph, I can redeem the gift because I am, in fact, a Wisconsin resident. After all, I have the driving license, the permanent address, and the bank account to prove it.
But according to the first paragraph, I cannot use the iTunes store outside of the United States. Of course I could change my iTunes account to correspond with my Canadian billing address, and therefore be enabled to use the store here in Canada. But that would prohibit me from redeeming the gift according to the second paragraph.
So I’m downloading this gift anyway–the new Bela Fleck album–in spite of what the principalities and powers (read: Steve Jobs and UMG Distribution) have devised. But I’ve learned my lesson…never read EULAs again.
