Apple is either really stupid.. or really good at turning a blind eye

Using the AppStore outside the US to shop for iPad apps is useless, especially when the iPad is not yet available internationally. But, with stats showing that only 35% of the iPads sold on eBay were for US customers, that begs the ultimate question: How are iPad owners outside the United States installing apps on their iPad when Apple restricts purchases from non-US credit cards on its American store.

If you own an iPad, you know the workaround by now: Create a fake US-based account and then pay using one of the alternative methods:

1. Ask a friend in the US to buy you a prepaid iTunes vouchers to add to your store credit.
2. Ask a friend in the US to buy you a prepaid American credit card that you can use.
3. Ask a friend in the US to gift you an App (and hopefully pay them back).
4. Use an online service that charges you an extra percentage to email you a code to an American iTunes voucher.
5. Just walk up to your dodgy local store and buy a US iTunes voucher!

Apart from the need to really have good friends who will accept to do this for you, I’ve personally seen vouchers being physically sold in stores in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia and have heard of vouchers being sold all around the world.

So, back to the main question. Is Apple really unaware of the amount of fake American accounts that are being created on its store, or do they simply not care? It clearly seems to be to Apple’s advantage that people are buying more iPads than it could have sold in a short period of time, and certainly more apps from its store.

Why not introduce the apps globally so that people who haven’t figured out the workaround can just buy more apps?

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Are they seriously unaware? They must track IP addresses of registrations. They must know where people are downloading the apps from. The RIAA wouldn’t care about what’s sold outside of the US as long as it’s not music related, so why not just launch the apps internationally and let us just buy more apps without paying a markup to the black market or owing our friends tons of favors?

Another great move by Apple. I’m not sure how they’re not confused, because I sure am!