Apple music download copy protection cracked

Author: Tim Smalley
Published: 25th October 2006
Comments (17) Stumble
Apple music download copy protection cracked

Johansen has reverse engineered Apple's FairPlay DRM technology in an attempt to open up the digital music industry.

Jon Johansen, a hacker who's claim to fame was helping to crack DVD encryption, has cracked the iTunes FairPlay content protection.

Johansen's company, DoubleTwist, stated that he managed to reverse engineer the FairPlay system and plans to license the technology to Apple's competitors in an attempt to open up the digital music industry.

Apple's iTunes music store is responsible for around 88% of all legal music downloads, while the various iterations of the iPod are responsible for only 60% of the portable music player market.

Content downloaded from iTunes uses the FairPlay content protection technology that only allows users to play the music on Apple's iPod, up to five computers and any licensed devices like Motorola's Rokr mobile phone. The downloads can't be transferred to devices made by other manufacturers that haven't licensed Apple's FairPlay technology.

DoubleTwist's Managing Director, Monique Farantzos told Associated Press that "there's a certain amount of trouble that Apple can give us, but not enough to stop this. We believe we're on good legal ground, and our attorneys have given us the green light on this."

Indirectly, this could help iTunes to gain even more market share in the digital distribution world, but in the same way it is also going to have an effect on Apple's iPod business. It will be interesting to see how Apple reacts to Johansen's breakthrough and there are a number of routes the digital music giant could take.

Discuss in the forums
Quote pman 25th October 2006, 18:50
He didn't actually reverse engineer it. He wrote it from scratch to mimic the way FairPlay works, thus making iPods read it etc. It's entirely legal in other words.
Quote Tim S 25th October 2006, 18:53
Monique also said: "What he did was basically reverse-engineer FairPlay"
Quote AlexB 25th October 2006, 19:38
Sounds good. Nice work.
Quote Warrior_Rocker 25th October 2006, 19:53
I guess this is not an entirely black or white hat operation. So tip your grey to johansen. We are all quite sick of companies making software and other devices proprietary or for use only with certified products. :|
Quote DreamTheEndless 25th October 2006, 20:18
Quote:
Originally Posted by pman
He didn't actually reverse engineer it. He wrote it from scratch to mimic the way FairPlay works, thus making iPods read it etc. It's entirely legal in other words.

He did actually Reverse Engineer it -

And, it is entirely legal to reverse engineer software if you do it in the correct manor. (If you've ever seen source code for a product, you are no longer able to reverse engineer that product, but if you look at it from the outside to figure out what it does and write new code based on that, that is reverse engineering.)
Quote speedfreek 25th October 2006, 21:49
Other than the fact that its still got DRM I see this as a good thing.
Quote Votey 25th October 2006, 21:56
"We believe we're on good legal ground, and our attorneys have given us the green light on this."

:)

Of course your attorneys gave you the green light to get yourself sued, they get paid by the hour.
Quote Warrior_Rocker 25th October 2006, 22:14
Quote:
Originally Posted by Votey
Of course your attorneys gave you the green light to get yourself sued, they get paid by the hour.
LMAO, good point. Finally a way to open up at least some of that 'mac' incompatability.
Quote Firehed 25th October 2006, 22:18
It's a start, but unless it allows me to buy music without DRM attached, I have no interest whatsoever.
Quote Charles1 25th October 2006, 22:21
yeah but as an intern in a law firm some firms wont charge unless they win the case. Though you are still responsible for any court fees. which round up the 1/3 rule when sueing. you sue for the priciple amount but you add to it then the other third to pay court fees and the other third to pay lawyer. hence 1/3 rule when you sue. back to the point i say good job its time apple gets some stress but its also my opinion and hate apple even though there IPOD's are so slick looking.
Quote DXR_13KE 25th October 2006, 22:30
this is a good thing :D
Quote Constructacon 26th October 2006, 03:00
Quote:
Originally Posted by Firehed
It's a start, but unless it allows me to buy music without DRM attached, I have no interest whatsoever.
My thoughts exactly. It'll be good though for the many people who want to use iTunes but would rather have different player.
Quote bloodcar 26th October 2006, 04:13
Quote:
Originally Posted by Firehed
It's a start, but unless it allows me to buy music at almost the same price and crappier sound quality, I have no interest whatsoever.
Fixed.
Quote Firehed 26th October 2006, 04:27
Quote:
Originally Posted by bloodcar
Fixed.
Replace "I" with... anyone else... and maybe. I won't touch iTunes' paid content (or any other non-AllOfMP3 music storE) for that reason.

But I know what you meant ;)
Quote otispunkmeyer 26th October 2006, 09:02
i think this is good, and i dont think its gonna hurt apple

i think itunes is the easiest to use when purchasing tracks, ive bought over 30tracks. but i dont have an ipod. i have a sony 6gb mp3 player (sound quality destroys apples) and at the moment im burning my new songs to cd then ripping them back in sonic stage

it would be very nice to be able to put them straight on my sony, id probably start buying even more songs
Quote quack 26th October 2006, 09:15
Have some people completely misunderstood the point of this?

They aren't stripping Apple's DRM off so you can use downloads from iTunes on other players, they're going to allow other companies to add DoubleTwist's DRM to their tracks so iPod users have somewhere that isn't iTunes to buy music from.

Also... he will also licence his technology to other devices so you can purchase and download from iTunes but play them on something that isn't an iPod.


It'll only hurt Apple in as far as iPod owners aren't restricted ONLY to iTunes, but they'll still be selling iPods... OR they won't sell some people iPods but will still sell them tracks from iTunes. Either way, they make some money.
Quote Rockfan 4th December 2006, 15:26
Here's the perfect tool for DRM'ed audio!
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