Apple’s iTunes back in China, but pro-Tibet album inaccessible

The Chinese government has allowed the restoration of Apple's iTunes service in the country after blocking it earlier for featuring a pro-Tibet album. However, this resumption of service comes with a rider - the aforementioned album is no longer available for purchase in the country.

Only a week earlier it was reported that the US iTunes Store (there is no China store as of yet) was inaccessible by Internet users in China. The start of the problems coincided with an announcement from an advocacy group that said that around 40 Olympic athletes had downloaded a pro-Tibet benefit album that was also carried on iTunes.  (See: China blocks access to Apple's iTunes, pro-Tibet album cited as probable cause)

The ''Songs for Tibet'' album was released exclusively on iTunes on 5 August, just before the opening of the Beijing Olympics. The Art of Peace Foundation, in conjunction with groups like the International Campaign for Tibet, also offered free downloads of the album to Olympic athletes through a special site unaffiliated with iTunes.

Moreover, iTunes wasn't the only Web service affected. The Amazon.com page for the ''Songs for Tibet'' album, which includes 20 songs from artists like Sting, Dave Matthews and Moby, also could not be reached within China. Additionally, a video promoting the album on video-hosting service YouTube was also blocked by the Communist government's Internet control mechanisms.

At the moment, the iTunes service is back in China. But not ''Songs for Tibet''. Attempting to access the album will result in an error saying it's unavailable. An Apple spokeswoman has also confirmed this fact. Whether this is a step taken by the Chinese government or one taken by Apple under persuasion by the former remains unconfirmed.