China has lifted its general block on the iTunes store after apparently figuring out how to block access to just Songs for Tibet without shutting the whole store down.
The iTunes store went dark in China last week after word spread that the album, whose proceeds will be used for "peace initiatives and Tibetan cultural preservation projects important to the Dalai Lama," was for sale there. Traceroute queries appeared to confirm that China's authorities, who are very sensitive to pro-Tibet anything, simply shut down Apple's music store to prevent local access to the the one album.
Even though iTunes is back on up in China, Songs for Tibet (iTunes link) still cannot be purchased there, according to SFGate. Apple accepts the vast majority of albums submitted for distribution through iTunes, so its inclusion of the album during the Olympics was most likely not intended as a barb. However, Apple did promote the album prominently within the store.
Some (okay, just David Wolf and this guy) see this as a deliberate provocation of China. They say that if Apple wants to expand into that country's potentially lucrative market, it had better play by Chinese rules and censor content so that the Chinese government doesn't have to.
Read the rest of the story at Wired.com's Listening Post
Also read:
- China Blocks Access to iTunes Store
- Composer Says Beijing Olympic Committee Ripped Him Off
- China Blocks LiveJournal
- The Great Firewall: China's Misguided — and Futile — Attempt to Control What Happens Online
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