HD Tracks blocks sales outside USA by scanning IP adresses

AlanAlan
edited February 2012 in Other music
As above really. HDTracks have long had a policy of not selling outside the US of A due to royalty arrangements/licensing. It was easily circumvented by paying with Paypal, therefore avoiding the need to register a delivery address.

Now they scan your IP address as you browse the site, thus determining what country you're in. Try to add an album to your basket and a window politely turns you away.

If you're like me, you probably don't buy that much from them (and then only with a coupon!), so it's not too hard to live with this.

However, it has already been reported that there are ways to mask your IP address quite easily, a quick google reveals them. If your browser is Firefox there is a free add-on called anonymoX which allows you to configure a profile for individual sites which obscures your location by using a proxy. It is perfectly feasible to configure a profile with US IP address for use on a particular website that insists on a US IP address, for instance.

Just sayin'.
:-\"

Comments

  • uglymusicuglymusic
    Oh, what a PITA!

    But, as you say, there are a number of alternatives to fudge IP addresses. But that may not work if they check your card or PayPal account address.
  • DocfosterDocfoster
    Royalties? Licensing...?
    What's the issue?
    I'm no legal mind.
  • uglymusicuglymusic
    Licensing, I'd say. The old media companies still like to chop the globe up into arbitrary territories.
  • DocfosterDocfoster
    Bastards.
    [sanctimonious, beard stroking, real ale drinking mode on]
    We never had this kind of trouble with vinyl.
    [sanctimonious, beard stroking, real ale drinking mode off]
  • AlanAlan
    The box that pops up on HDTracks definitely says it is the IP address that has been detected. I would have thought that an email address that ends 'co.uk' wouldn't constitute proof of location, but I don't know.
  • uglymusicuglymusic
    I mean the postal address that's associated with your credit card or PayPal account. It's proof of where you live.
  • AlanAlan
    I see. I wonder if they check that? After all, they only have to satisfy their regulators they are making a meaningful attempt to block sales outside the USA.
  • uglymusicuglymusic
    I dunno. Just following a line of thought.

    When I get one - about once every ten days - I grab it and hold on for dear life ;-)
  • Brain_DeadBrain_Dead
    http://www.cnet.co.uk/search/downloads/n-6cb/ip+changing.htm
    The above link will take you to downloads on IP changing I use one to watch BBC USA, and it works for me.
    I also found this never tried it, but maybe.
    The one I use is from this bunch,

    Have fun
  • AlanAlan
    Nice one. I have found the anonymox plug-in a little clunky and intrusive. I only want iy for specific sites (well, one actually)
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