Apple Users Upset By Automatic Installation Of U2 Album

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I’m not a fan of U2 and haven’t been for over two decades but I fail to see the outrage in the fact that Apple has given iTunes customers in 119 countries a free copy of U2’s new album “Songs of Innocence.” The eleven track, 48 minute release is being viewed as an “outrage” and other such overstatements by Apple users. U2 has had a strong relationship with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) for a number of years and the band performed this week after Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiled the new iPhone 6.

Tim Cook proud of himself

Tim Cook called it “the largest album release of all time,” with 500 million Apple users getting automatic copies of the album. Don’t worry, U2 hardly did it out of altruism with the New York Times reporting that Apple paid the band $100 million for the privilege of offending a number of its users. The New York Times recently wrote: ‘To release U2’s album free, Apple paid the band and Universal an unspecified fee as a blanket royalty and committed to a marketing campaign for the band worth up to $100 million, according to several people briefed on the deal.’

“Songs of Innocence” will remain free through iTunes until Oct. 14, at that point Universal will begin selling the album at stores and begin to make it available through streaming services like Spotify and others.

But again, it’s the outrage that just seems terrifically misplaced. While it seems a ridiculous waste of money at $100 million, taking the time to tweet their angst rather than just simply deleting the unwanted album seems the acme of folly.

And the Tweets by the outraged users on Apple

Tweets regarding this “violation” included the following:

Twitter user @HayleyMuir said: ‘#Apple outrage; notified earlier I’ve no storage for pics, to discover I’ve attained a U2 album I DON’T WANT & can’t delete #p*****d OFF!!!!’

While @HTFCMac tweeted: ‘If iTunes even thinks of putting U2 on my computer I may go into full on #OUTRAGE’, which was seconded by @Roxiestargazer, who said: ‘All these U2 songs appearing on my phone? This is an outrage.’

Some users than got even more ridiculous citing security concerns in a PRISM world:

User @MezMerrett tweeted: ‘If Apple can forcefully download a U2 album onto everyone’s phone, imagine what else they can do and see.

And @MattRichardson3 added: ‘Everyone’s scared of MI6 and GCHQ accessing our phones, but I’d rather that than be forcibly given a U2 album.’
Oh the whiners we have become. Especially given the fact that it’s not actually on anyone’s machines until they download it from the cloud.

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