[Mithras]

As perhaps you've just read here, someone has ported the Windows QTFairUse utility to OS X, to make a tool that strips the DRM from iTunes Music Store files.

Perhaps this has been out awhile, but this is the first I've heard of it.
Note that you have to be authorized to play the files to be able to strip the DRM.

I'm compiling it now, and will report back on how well it works.

[ThisGuy]

is there any other installation documentation available?

i do not understand what this means:

$ ./configure
$ make
$ make install

[dole]

Originally posted by ThisGuy:
is there any other installation documentation available?

i do not understand what this means:

$ ./configure
$ make
$ make install

You have to run those from the command line. In the terminal, change to the playfair directory, then run ./configure, then when that is done run make, then finally make install. I'm not sure if the make install part will require an admin password or not, if it does run sudo make install and type the admin password.

./configure
make
make install or sudo make install

[Mithras]

Well, I've tested it, and it works great. Unlike the QTFairUse utility, it works faster than realtime -- takes a few seconds per song on my Powerbook. (Also, I guess I was wrong about it being based on QTFairUse; it cites a different set of tools as its origin)

ThisGuy, in addition to what dole said, note that you need to have the Developer Tools (aka XCode) installed. That either came with your copy of OS X, or is a free download from http://developer.apple.com.

[ThisGuy]

my god am i command line retarded. i kept trying to run make while i was already in the playfair directory, but i kept adding the navigation to the directory. i am running it....NOW.

[clt2]

Did one of the slashdot editors move to MacNN?

playfair is a tool for Mac OS X that strips the digital rights management protection from tracks purchased at the iTunes Music Store, converting them to ordinary AAC audio files without any loss in quality. The utility is believed to be the first to circumvent Apple's DRM without employing quality-sapping lossy compression formats to do so. The current version, 0.2, requires Xcode to be installed and must be built and run from the Terminal. An iPod or Mac authorized to read the purchased track is also needed.

From the playfair page:

The original version of this program was derived from a Windows-only program called m4p2mp4.

and m4p2mp4 was just a standalone tool based on the FairPlay code from VideoLAN.

Btw, does Steve force Apple's lawyers to work on weekends? The downloads links are all dead

[TheMosco]

Originally posted by clt2:

Btw, does Steve force Apple's lawyers to work on weekends? The downloads links are all dead

University of Minnesota mirror from sourceforge works.

[clt2]

Originally posted by clt2:
The downloads links are all dead

It's just the ver 2.0 links which are dead. Ver 1.0 links are working.

[clt2]

Originally posted by TheMosco:
University of Minnesota mirror from sourceforge works.

Yes, I just checked again and not all 2.0 links are dead. It's probably just that all mirrors have not been updated with the new release.

[Mithras]

Here's a little script to run (after you've installed playfair).
First, cd to your iTunes Music directory, i.e. usually
cd "~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music/"

then make a script containing this
pico m4p2m4a.sh

Paste it in:

Code:
#!/bin/sh
for artist_dir in *
do
        if [ -d "$artist_dir" ]; then
                echo "$artist_dir"
                for album_dir in "$artist_dir/"*   
                do
                        if [ -d "$album_dir" ]; then
                                echo "  $album_dir"
                                for old_file in "$album_dir/"*.m4p 
                                do
                                        new_file="${old_file%.*}.m4a"
                                        if [ -e "$old_file" ]; then
                                        if [ ! -e "$new_file" ]; then
                                                playfair "$old_file" "$new_file"  
                                        else
                                                echo "skipping $new_file"
                                        fi
                                        fi
                                done
                        fi
                done
        fi
done

And run it:
chmod a+x m4p2m4a
./m4p2m4a

It will run through your whole library, converting tracks.

[krove]

Awesome script, thank!

[geekwagon]

This is definitely cool. I have 5 or 6 Macs that I like to play my music on depending on where I am, so I was just today using VLC to decrypt the songs for my own use. Doing it at 1:1 time is kind of annoying, not to mention manually copying all the tags. It drives me nuts in particular that I have to authorize computers to listen to a stream, especially.

One caveat is that it doesn't copy the disc-of-disc tags from the original file. All the files I have purchased from the store have this tag, even if they aren't multiple disc collections. It does copy the comments, album art, etc. I don't know about Composer as I have already converted all the files that had data in the Composer field...

[3R1C]

Is there interest in me wrapping this in a gui?

[waffffffle]

So I installed it. I assume that you then run the shell script that is located at src/playfair/playfair but when I run it I get the following: "Couldn't find iTunes key or an iPod."

My iPod is broken. Can this program still work for me?

[CharlesS]

This could hurt Apple's business with the iTMS. I do not think this is a very good thing.

[Maelman]

Here is how you need to format it, waffffffle :

USAGE: playfair [-at] <infile> <outfile>
-a don't copy artwork
-t don't copy tags


Hope that helps.

[geekwagon]

Originally posted by CharlesS:
This could hurt Apple's business with the iTMS. I do not think this is a very good thing.

I doubt it. For one thing, this only allows you to remove the DRM from files that you would be able to play anyway. Sure, then you could share them with other people, but that is the exact same as the millions of CDs per week that are sold.

Personally, I plan on actually buying MORE from the iTMS thanks to this. I have no problem buying music (I buy CDs fairly regularly) but I have more than 3 Macs in my household. So, I was forced to buy CDs instead of purchasing from the store to give me the flexibility I need to play the music I own.

If they made the limit 5 or 10 instead of 3 computers, I probably wouldn't bother removing the DRM. I doubt it would encourage any more piracy than the current 3 computer limit, as people aren't going to give their iTMS password out to people that aren't in their immediate family.. But, I'm sure this has more to do with the record industry's paranoia about losing control than what Apple wants.

[geekwagon]

Originally posted by waffffffle:
So I installed it. I assume that you then run the shell script that is located at src/playfair/playfair but when I run it I get the following: "Couldn't find iTunes key or an iPod."

My iPod is broken. Can this program still work for me?

Do you have a PC or Virtual PC? You can use the instructions here at VLC's site to get the keys from iTunes for Windows. Playfair will find them in the ~/.drms folder, just like VLC does (at least it did for me).

[Mr Scruff]

Originally posted by 3R1C:
Is there interest in me wrapping this in a gui?

Depends on if you want the following:

- Media reports in mainstream news claiming that Apple's drm has been rendered useless
- Likelihood of .wma becoming the standard format for digital music delivery (which is incompatible with the Mac)
- Apple sending you threatening legal letters

If that sounds like a good idea then go right ahead.

[Mr Scruff]

Originally posted by geekwagon:
I doubt it. For one thing, this only allows you to remove the DRM from files that you would be able to play anyway. Sure, then you could share them with other people, but that is the exact same as the millions of CDs per week that are sold.

Personally, I plan on actually buying MORE from the iTMS thanks to this. I have no problem buying music (I buy CDs fairly regularly) but I have more than 3 Macs in my household. So, I was forced to buy CDs instead of purchasing from the store to give me the flexibility I need to play the music I own.

If they made the limit 5 or 10 instead of 3 computers, I probably wouldn't bother removing the DRM. I doubt it would encourage any more piracy than the current 3 computer limit, as people aren't going to give their iTMS password out to people that aren't in their immediate family.. But, I'm sure this has more to do with the record industry's paranoia about losing control than what Apple wants.

This isn't about whether or not this circumvention promotes piracy of aac. It's about propaganda. There is currently a struggle going on between MS & Apple for which format is adopted by the recording industry as their chosen means of delivery. If MS wins this struggle, we all lose (even you).

At the moment, Apple has the advantage, but the negative media coverage they will undoubtedly get from something like this will work against them. If in 5 years time online music is exclusively in the realm of wma, it's software like this that will be partly to blame.

[geekwagon]

Originally posted by Mr Scruff:
This isn't about whether or not this circumvention promotes piracy of aac. It's about propaganda. There is currently a struggle going on between MS & Apple for which format is adopted by the recording industry as their chosen means of delivery. If MS wins this struggle, we all lose (even you).

At the moment, Apple has the advantage, but the negative media coverage they will undoubtedly get from something like this will work against them. If in 5 years time online music is exclusively in the realm of wma, it's software like this that will be partly to blame.

Well, this is getting off-topic, but a 30 second Google search seems to imply that there are already at least 2 programs that will remove the DRM from WMA files using the same method that this playfair program is using (obtaining the key from a system that is authorized to play the content, and then decrypt the audio with it.)

I agree that it probably shouldn't be made too easy and high-profile though, because then Apple is likely to come after you with a DMCA complaint (circumventing a control-device.)

As for who is going to "win," I can't believe that either system is going to win in the condition they are in now. Most people aren't going to buy a significant amount of their music online as long as there are more restrictions to put up with than a CD has. Apple knows this, this is why they are trying to make this stuff as transparent as possible. But unfortunately there are limits to how far the record industry is willing to allow fair-use. It is certainly within their rights to put up as many roadblocks as they want, but just from a purely pragmatic point-of-view I have never known a more restrictive technology to win out even over a less convenient, but less restrictive one (think DIVX vs DVD rentals...)

Now, they could stop making CDs and then we would be forced to use them. But while downloads are still less than 1% of the music market I doubt they will do that anytime soon. The music industry would implode within a week.

[L E]

Anyone care to host this? I can help mirror it as needed.

[GORDYmac]

If this wasn't a big deal when the Windows version came out, why fret when the Mac version comes out?

I don't think it's a big deal. I'd burn a CD before I could figure how to use this software.

[jclarkv]

Originally posted by waffffffle:
My iPod is broken. Can this program still work for me?

No, I don't think so (on OS X, anyway).

[jclarkv]

How do I add playfair to the path?

[L E]

http://le.omgwtfbbq.net/playfair-0.2.tar.gz

In case it's still unavailable elsewhere.

edit: keep this link on MacNN only.

[BZ]

A little of both:

This is not good for Apple's case to get music companies to put more and more of their music online and to trust Apple's DRM. It will hurt Apple and the iTMS if the artists and companies don't think it will protect their work.

The good of it is that if Apple were ever to abandon the iTMS (gasp) or go completely out of business in 10 years (gasp gasp) all of us who have spent hundreds or thousands of dollars in the iTMS could de-DRM our music and get on with our lives. It has been my one concern with buying music from iTMS (and I buy a lot) is that if it ever fails, that music retains no value becuase I can't (easily) take it with me. This is unlike CDs where, in the worse case scenario I were to have to buy a PC that could not play AAC, I would re-rip the 500 CDs to whatever is the new format.

Not sure if you guys care, but this might be breaking some agreement you virtually signed when you purchased from the iTMS.

BZ

[CharlesS]

Originally posted by Mr Scruff:
This isn't about whether or not this circumvention promotes piracy of aac. It's about propaganda. There is currently a struggle going on between MS & Apple for which format is adopted by the recording industry as their chosen means of delivery. If MS wins this struggle, we all lose (even you).

At the moment, Apple has the advantage, but the negative media coverage they will undoubtedly get from something like this will work against them. If in 5 years time online music is exclusively in the realm of wma, it's software like this that will be partly to blame.

Exactly.

And to those who have been pointing out that WMA has been cracked as well - since when have the media treated Apple fairly? They'll publicize this, and not the WMA crack, and people will all think that AAC has failed. Remember, perception is more important than reality. This is very bad news for Apple.

I would not write that GUI.

[Turias]

Originally posted by CharlesS:
Remember, perception is more important than reality. This is very bad news for Apple.

Very true. Just look at the primaries...

but that belongs in a different forum.

[ccrider]

Originally posted by 3R1C:
Is there interest in me wrapping this in a gui?

please...

[krove]

Hmm...using the script above to automate the de-DRMing of my iTunes protected AAC files, some of the resulting *.m4a files are unplayable in either iTunes (quits unexpectedly), Finder (also quits unexpectedly), or even my iPod (restarts).

I'm not sure if it was Playfair's or the script's fault. I will try it again on an affected song tonight using the direct playfair call (as opposed to the automated script).

Fortunately, I have backups of all my bought, protected AAC music. (I was a bit zealous and decided I could delete the .m4p files from iTunes.)

[geekwagon]

Originally posted by krove:
Hmm...using the script above to automate the de-DRMing of my iTunes protected AAC files, some of the resulting *.m4a files are unplayable in either iTunes (quits unexpectedly), Finder (also quits unexpectedly), or even my iPod (restarts).

I'm not sure if it was Playfair's or the script's fault. I will try it again on an affected song tonight using the direct playfair call (as opposed to the automated script).

Fortunately, I have backups of all my bought, protected AAC music. (I was a bit zealous and decided I could delete the .m4p files from iTunes.)

I have noticed that depending on when a song was purchased, it might be signed with a different version of the key. I extracted my keys using iTunes and VLC for Windows as described in the above link, and I ended up with 3 different keys. I had the same problem as you (some files broke iTunes, etc) until I played the ones that were broken in VLC for Windows and got another key spit out. Looks like the error checking is not that great. Not unusual for a 0.2

[macgyvr64]

Originally posted by geekwagon:
I have noticed that depending on when a song was purchased, it might be signed with a different version of the key. I extracted my keys using iTunes and VLC for Windows as described in the above link, and I ended up with 3 different keys. I had the same problem as you (some files broke iTunes, etc) until I played the ones that were broken in VLC for Windows and got another key spit out. Looks like the error checking is not that great. Not unusual for a 0.2

How does the iPod play the songs if several different keys exist? If it has all the keys it needs in one place, why not just have playfair take advantage of them...

I've had some luck with it. I tried it on my brand new PowerBook with a just-purchased audio file, and it worked great. When I tried it on my PowerMac, it worked on one song, but not on another. It seems to be failing on songs purchased over a month ago... weird. I'll just wait for a newer release.

I poked through the source code a little, too. I still can't figure out exactly where on the iPod the key is stored. He's setting the environment to the iPod_Control directory at one point, it seems, but I see no mention of an actual file. I did find several suspicious-looking files in my iPod_Control directory, which had some encrypted content...as far as pico was concerned, anyway.

[waffffffle]

Originally posted by geekwagon:
Do you have a PC or Virtual PC? You can use the instructions here at VLC's site to get the keys from iTunes for Windows. Playfair will find them in the ~/.drms folder, just like VLC does (at least it did for me).

Thanks that tutorial worked for me. Also I had to add playfair to my path.

I've only bought one file ever from iTunes and that was just an experiment. However now I feel like I am more likely to purchase songs off of iTunes now that I know I can easily transfer them between all of my computers and share the songs with my family. While many may see this as bad for iTMS business, this will actually give them more of my business.

[ccrider]

Can someone post step by step instructions on how to get this to work, including the shell script that Mithras posted, setting up paths using "set path", and generally how to get around the damn terminal.

I almost got it to work, but I'm obviously doing something wrong. I think I'd like to start over and do it right.

Can someone explain it to me like I'm a 5 year old? I tried, I really did..

[Eug Wanker]

Originally posted by krove:
Hmm...using the script above to automate the de-DRMing of my iTunes protected AAC files, some of the resulting *.m4a files are unplayable in either iTunes (quits unexpectedly), Finder (also quits unexpectedly), or even my iPod (restarts).

I'm not sure if it was Playfair's or the script's fault. I will try it again on an affected song tonight using the direct playfair call (as opposed to the automated script).

Fortunately, I have backups of all my bought, protected AAC music. (I was a bit zealous and decided I could delete the .m4p files from iTunes.)

Slashdot has a report about Playfair mangling files and causing iTunes to crash.

[Bluebomber21XX]

Originally posted by 3R1C:
Is there interest in me wrapping this in a gui?

Yes, I believe there is. It's in the works.

http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=366137

[ccrider]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bluebomber21XX:
[B]Yes, I believe there is. It's in the works.


Playfair v.03 (a la' GUI) is ready- playfair v0.3

YES!!

[zeebe]

nothing

[3R1C]

looks like the project was pulled. did any of yall get the source with the gui? if so could you message me off board so i can get a copy?

[Montanan]

Yep, according to MacSlash,, Sourceforge pulled the program after hearing from Apple legal. It's now found a new home on an India-based server, though ... and it's now up to version 0.5, complete with a simple Cocoa GUI.

[3R1C]

hows about bustin' us a link =)

[clt2]

playfair in India.

[Mobile Mod]

I just downloaded the 0.5 version and whenever i drag a file to be converted it says it done but when I go back to the folder with it the file is still the same. It also finished in a few seconds and I am guessing it should take longer. What am i doing wrong?

Justin

[absmiths]

Am I the only one for which this program does nothing? I tried the gui, and the only change was the filename (.m4p added) but the command line doesn't do anything. I tried v0.5 and nothing.

EDIT: Nevermind - the extension was always .m4p - so no change at all.

[absmiths]

Originally posted by absmiths:
Am I the only one for which this program does nothing? I tried the gui, and the only change was the filename (.m4p added) but the command line doesn't do anything. I tried v0.5 and nothing.

EDIT: Nevermind - the extension was always .m4p - so no change at all.

Okay, this is bizarre. I plugged my iPod in and suddenly the whole thing worked - even for users other than the one for which the iPod was in use.

[bmedina]

Apparently you need to disconnect all other firewire devices (other than the iPod, that is) for it to work. And it should only take a few seconds; it's decrypting the file rather than re-encoding it, which is good for quality's sake.

[absmiths]

Originally posted by bmedina:
Apparently you need to disconnect all other firewire devices (other than the iPod, that is) for it to work. And it should only take a few seconds; it's decrypting the file rather than re-encoding it, which is good for quality's sake.

And it also appears that the iPod has to be set to mount as a drive. That is what finally did it for me.

[mishap]

Originally posted by absmiths:
And it also appears that the iPod has to be set to mount as a drive. That is what finally did it for me.

odd. but, ok.

[mishap]

yeah, works great. could come in useful.