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Buy DRM-free songs from the iTunes Music Store
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Disgruntled Head of C-3PO
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Mar 17, 2005, 11:20 PM
 
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000267036571/

Jon Johansen, aka DVD Jon, aka the secret crush of hackers and DRM-haters everywhere, has struck again. And this time he�s not screwing around, he�s done something that will so seriously provoke Apple and the recording industry that he may have to go into hiding: he�s figured out how to buy DRM-free tracks from the iTunes Music Store. How? With a PyMusique, a new front-end he and some pals/future co-defendants created for the iTunes Music Store that let�s you buy songs without any of that bothersome DRM stuff. Seems that our good friend discovered that when you buy something from the iTMS, the DRM is only added to the tracks after you�ve purchased and downloaded them, which sort of makes sense since they do need to be tagged to your account. You�ll still have to actually pay for the music, but PyMusique conveniently neglects to wrap the file with any copy protection, which means you�re free to do what you want with the unrestricted file, including copying it to multiple machines or sharing it over P2P. Hard to imagine how this could possibly be legal, since Apple specifically requires you to access the iTMS only through their software (Laurie Duncan actually read the ToS and checked), but you may as well enjoy the next six to twelve hours before Apple devises a way lock PyMusique users out.
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hayesk
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Mar 18, 2005, 12:13 AM
 
The Link has been removed.

I suspect that turned out to be a hoax. A DRM file doesn't simply have a wrapper - because all you would have to do is remove it. A DRM music file is encrypted. I don't think it downloads an unencrypted form of the music and then encrypts it - that would be too easy to crack - just capture the incoming data.
     
Xeo
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Mar 18, 2005, 01:18 AM
 
Originally posted by hayesk:
The Link has been removed.

I suspect that turned out to be a hoax. A DRM file doesn't simply have a wrapper - because all you would have to do is remove it. A DRM music file is encrypted. I don't think it downloads an unencrypted form of the music and then encrypts it - that would be too easy to crack - just capture the incoming data.
No, the site exists.

Also, the link SWG gave ends up redirecting to the main engadget site. Searching for "iTunes" on that page shows a link at the bottom which I used to find that site.

But I'd be weary of giving that thing my iTMS user and password without checking the source code. It is just a bunch of python scripts so if it is malicious, it wouldn't be hard to see so. I did install it but didn't try very hard to run it yet.
     
Superchicken
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Mar 18, 2005, 01:20 AM
 
You know... I don't mind Apple's DRM that bad... that said I think I am going to de-drm my files just because I can... and I'm Canadian

Edit: Maybe I won't... doesn't seem to wanna work on a copy of my iTunes music... (Hymn) then again I don't know how I feel about working with an app with such an ungodly looking icon.. who the heck writes your app's name on the icon!?
     
ort888
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Mar 18, 2005, 01:38 AM
 
It takes 5 minutes to strip the DRM from a CDs worth of songs. It used to annoy me, but now I just strip it off the second I get them. I just burn them to a CD and then re-import. If you don't eject the CD, you can keep all of your tags.

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willed
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Mar 18, 2005, 06:19 AM
 
I'm not sure I quite see the point of this. I mean, you still have to pay, so why not just fileshare? They've made the point that no DRM is uncrackable, or has workarounds, but then we knew this already.

As for the burning to CD and re-importing option, that works but you lose some of what little audio quality you already had.
     
lavar78
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Mar 18, 2005, 07:29 AM
 
Who is proofreading these articles? "... that let's you buy songs"? WTF?

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willed
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Mar 18, 2005, 07:44 AM
 
Originally posted by lavar78:
Who is proofreading these articles? "... that let's you buy songs"? WTF?
In Before the Flower Apostrophe Picture
     
dreilly1
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Mar 18, 2005, 08:03 AM
 
Originally posted by willed:
I'm not sure I quite see the point of this. I mean, you still have to pay, so why not just fileshare? They've made the point that no DRM is uncrackable, or has workarounds, but then we knew this already.

As for the burning to CD and re-importing option, that works but you lose some of what little audio quality you already had.
This is for people who still want to buy their music and not fileshare out of principle, but who want to use their iTunes-purchased songs on any AAC player without burning to CD and re-encoding.

I agree that this is program is kind of silly -- there are plenty of workarounds for this situation, and connecting to Apple's service using another client is clearly against the TOS, and could be interpreted as malicious, even if you're still buying the songs through it.

Still, I find the concept of Apple objecting to a program that makes it easier for people to buy their music kind of funny.

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Wiskedjak
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Mar 18, 2005, 08:33 AM
 
Originally posted by willed:
As for the burning to CD and re-importing option, that works but you lose some of what little audio quality you already had.
There really isn't any audio quality loss from the burn and re-import option. iTMS songs are coming in below CD quality to begin with. AAC is still just compressed CD audio, albeit at a "quality rivaling that of uncompressed CD audio".
( Last edited by Wiskedjak; Mar 18, 2005 at 08:39 AM. )
     
Silky Voice of The Gorn
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Mar 18, 2005, 08:38 AM
 
Originally posted by Xeo:
But I'd be weary of giving that thing my iTMS user and password...[/B]
You'd be tired giving out your password? Or perhaps you meant "wary"
     
entrox
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Mar 18, 2005, 10:05 AM
 
Originally posted by willed:
In Before the Flower Apostrophe Picture
You..asked..for..it..

http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif

[xeo sez: img too big]
( Last edited by Xeo; Mar 18, 2005 at 09:48 PM. )
     
ort888
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Mar 18, 2005, 11:25 AM
 
Originally posted by willed:
I'm not sure I quite see the point of this. I mean, you still have to pay, so why not just fileshare? They've made the point that no DRM is uncrackable, or has workarounds, but then we knew this already.

As for the burning to CD and re-importing option, that works but you lose some of what little audio quality you already had.
I'm one of those people who doesn't even notice the difference in quality. I'm always moving my songs from HD to HD and upgrading computers, so the stupid DRM was starting to be a pain. Also, AAC files are not compatible with my TiVo's music streaming or my CD player, so it's better to convert them.

There are a lot of songs I own that, believe it or not, are actually only availale through the iTunes store. They have some stuff I've never been able to find anywhere else. A lot of it.

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lavar78
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Mar 18, 2005, 08:32 PM
 
Originally posted by entrox:
You..asked..for..it..

[IMG]Bob's Quick Guide to the Apostrophe, You Idiots[/IMG]
I love that thing. "Where'd you learn this?" If only we knew...

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Xeo
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Mar 18, 2005, 09:50 PM
 
Originally posted by Silky Voice of The Gorn:
You'd be tired giving out your password? Or perhaps you meant "wary"
That'd be the word I was going for. That's what I get for using big words.
     
Wiskedjak
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Mar 19, 2005, 02:36 AM
 
Originally posted by Xeo:
That'd be the word I was going for. That's what I get for using big words.
Damn those words with more than 3 letters!

     
Angus_D
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Mar 19, 2005, 07:22 AM
 
Something which nobody else pointed out is that this script is portable and will run on platforms which don't have iTunes (like Linux).
     
sideus
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Mar 22, 2005, 08:46 PM
 
DVDJon is going to ruin iTMS for the rest of us.

'DVD Jon' reopens iTunes back door

If he keeps this up, the record companies are going to force Apple to create a stronger DRM scheme. This guy maybe good at cracking stuff like this, but he needs to use his talents for a greater purpose.
     
FulcrumPilot
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Mar 22, 2005, 08:53 PM
 
Originally posted by sideus:
DVDJon is going to ruin iTMS for the rest of us.

'DVD Jon' reopens iTunes back door

If he keeps this up, the record companies are going to force Apple to create a stronger DRM scheme. This guy maybe good at cracking stuff like this, but he needs to use his talents for a greater purpose.

Somehow all this stuff is bound to get mindshare more and more for apple. Which is a good thing if you ask me.
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Wiskedjak
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Mar 22, 2005, 09:10 PM
 
Originally posted by sideus:
DVDJon is going to ruin iTMS for the rest of us.

'DVD Jon' reopens iTunes back door

If he keeps this up, the record companies are going to force Apple to create a stronger DRM scheme. This guy maybe good at cracking stuff like this, but he needs to use his talents for a greater purpose.
Taking down the music industry is a greater purpose.
     
Busemann
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Apr 23, 2005, 06:13 PM
 
Originally Posted by Wiskedjak
Taking down the music industry is a greater purpose.
The music industry didn't really worry much about this hack. It seems they're more concerned about the proprietary DRM's that lock customers into either MS or Apple.
     
   
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