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Australians Urged To Spoof IP Addresses For Better Prices

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the won't-somebody-please-think-of-the-savings? dept.

angry tapir writes "Choice, a prominent Australian consumer advocacy group, has urged Australians to obfuscate their IP address to avoid geo-blocking and use US forwarding addresses to beat high IT prices. Australia is currently in the middle of parliamentary inquiry into the country's disproportionately high prices for technology. Choice also suggested setting up US iTunes accounts and using surrogate US addresses for forwarding packages from American stores. Choice has noted previously that Australians pay 52 per cent more for digital music downloads on iTunes compared to US users."

6 of 206 comments (clear)

  1. Tor and using a specific exit node (and SSL!) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is how I ended up buying Battlefield 3 premium on Origin for a fraction of the cost (1500 INR (=22 EUR) instead of 50 EUR) by pretending to be from India.

    1. Re:Tor and using a specific exit node (and SSL!) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      And this is the real reason for DRM, not piracy.

    2. Re:Tor and using a specific exit node (and SSL!) by 2fuf · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Yes, it's the reason for DRM and at the same time the reason for piracy ;-)

  2. Good riddance to geo-blocking by madsdyd · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I live in Denmark, and recently spent 30 minutes to try and buy an english e-book online.

    Found it at 3 different retailers (US, UK, Australia), that refused to sell it to me (add it to the basket), because of my location.

    Then found it at 2 additional retailers, that allowed me to add it to a basket, then accepted my credit-card information, before refusing to actually sell it to me.

    Then I got sort of mad and decided to break a 15 year old principle on not pirating stuff. Went to google, and had the ebook literally 30 seconds later! 10 seconds later on my device, and I could start reading.

    What on earth are they thinking!

    Oh, and I then later wrote the agent for the writer in question here in Denmark, and in the UK to offer payment. I have not heard a word from the UK agent, and the Danish one just confirmed that they do not sell the english language version of that writer in Denmark as an ebook.

    Fools, really. And, they are probably, as I write this, banging on the door to the parliament, requiering stricter copyright laws.

    Fools.

  3. Re:Willful Misrepresentation is a Crime by bloodhawk · · Score: 5, Insightful

    But we are not misrepresenting at all, I am legitimately utilising a VPN Service. I am not saying I am something I am not. It isn't our fault companies are morons and rely on a VPN address to try and work out what country I am from. IP Addressing was never intended for this use.

  4. Re:Here is where you are wrong by mcgrew · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The musicians don't want to be in control of getting their songs sold or booking performances. They want the "industry".

    Where do you get these "data"? How many musicians do you know personally? I know quite a few, and none of them would touch an RIAA contract with a ten foot pole, despite labels courting them.

    Face it, music is full of people who would be homeless and broke despite their talent

    It's also full of people who are multimillionaires despite their lack of talent. If you're good, you'll get gigs.

    The only one's that don't

    You should have paid more attention in class, son.

    --
    Free Martian Whores!