If cracking FairPlay is this easy, I'm not surprised there is so much piracy!

[PowerFullMac]

FairPlay, FairPlay, PairPlay, the great almighty Apple DRM, one of the best DRMs ever, almost uncrackable... How come a 14 year old who was just bored made a non-DRMed copy of a iTunes track using just iMovie (yes, iMovie) and a conversion program called Switch?

One thing, I dont indorse piracy, I am posting this because: 1) Studies have proven DRM does nothing to stop piracy anyway 2) If you buy music you should be able to do anything with it 3) This is for education purposes only, if you do this its your fault if anything happens as a consequence.

I am basically posting this to show you DRM sucks, and to potentially alert Apple so they can fix this.

Plus, you cant get someone else's DRMed music and take the DRM off of it, this only works if the music is registered to play on your computer (I think!)

Basically, all you have to do is open iMovie '08, make a new project, make the movie as long as the song (just out a bunch of one minute titles on there), add the music to the project by just dragging it and letting go when you get the big green square covering all the titles you added, then export the movie as a playable video file. Now, get a MP3 conversion program called Switch (its free) then drag the newly made video file into there and convert it.

It really is as easy as that!

Come on Apple, your meant to be all secure and stuff!

 

[dukebound85]

or burn to a cd and reimport!!!! sure you lose some quality but whatever lol

i dont see apple acting on this at all

 

[sushi]

I don't believe DRM is something that Apple, nor SJ, really wanted, but they had no choice.

IIRC, Apple wanted to be able to authorize 10 computers, but the music industry folks wanted it limited to 5 computers. So that is what we have.

 

[PowerFullMac]

or burn to a cd and reimport!!!! sure you lose some quality but whatever lol

i dont see apple acting on this at all

Its still full-quality like this!

 

[dukebound85]

Its still full-quality like this!

you should make a script to automatically convert all my drm'd songs lol

 

[PowerFullMac]

you should make a script to automatically convert all my drm'd songs lol

LOL

Also, you dont have to buy CDs!

Remember, I dont indorse piracy!

I love disclaimers, is there any better way to cover your ass?

 

[poolish]

you can't stop things like this, even if they could there is always a way to do it.
you could just play the track and record it with audio hijack. you can do ths to get music from youtube or any webpage.

but yeah can they stop you re-recording the output from your speakers?

 

[angelneo]

No DRM is ever foolproof. As long as you are able to see/hear it, it can be cracked. It is only a matter of time.

 

[PowerFullMac]

you can't stop things like this, even if they could there is always a way to do it.
you could just play the track and record it with audio hijack. you can do ths to get music from youtube or any webpage.

but yeah can they stop you re-recording the output from your speakers?

I find for YouTube videos its best to use a YouTube Video Downloader program

 

[Apple Ink]

I firmly believe that all this DRM is complete waste of time, energy and resources!
Those who really wish to upload to bittorrent and P2P there's simply no stopping them!
Rather this stupid DRM creates a hesitation for the nice people who go mad trying to figure out why doesnt their 'legally bought' music play on their devices

 

[PowerFullMac]

I firmly believe that all this DRM is complete waste of time, energy and resources!
Those who really wish to upload to bittorrent and P2P there's simply no stopping them!
Rather this stupid DRM creates a hesitation for the nice people who go mad trying to figure out why doesnt their 'legally bought' music play on their devices

Exactly, if anything, DRM helps piracy, why pay for music that isnt compatible with most devices when you can get free music that is?

 

[motulist]

I don't think the iTunes Fairplay DRM was ever designed to be super strong. Apple just wanted to make it strong enough to convince the music companies to sell their music in the iTunes store. And obviously Apple's DRM plan completely hit its target.

 

[sushi]

I don't think the iTunes Fairplay DRM was ever designed to be super strong. Apple just wanted to make it strong enough to convince the music companies to sell their music in the iTunes store.

Yep, you got it.

And obviously Apple's DRM plan completely hit its target.

Looks like it.

One area of compromise that Apple made was in the number of computers authorized to play protected music. Apple originally wanted 10, but limited it to 5 to satisfy the music folks. Also, the number of times you could burn a playlist at one time was limited.

 

[Apple Ink]

Yep, you got it.


Looks like it.

One area of compromise that Apple made was in the number of computers authorized to play protected music. Apple originally wanted 10, but limited it to 5 to satisfy the music folks. Also, the number of times you could burn a playlist at one time was limited.

Maybe.... but if Apple's only reason for DRM was to convince Media Companies..... why was the need to make FairPlay completely incompatible with any other player except iPod. On the contrary... this would have helped Apple gain Media corp's trust since the Media companies would have a greater reach through iTunes!

 

[Consultant]

Exactly, if anything, DRM helps piracy, why pay for music that isnt compatible with most devices when you can get free music that is?

People buy from iTunes store because of ease of use and integration.

Do you know when iTunes store came out, many people were downloading music free and illegally with no DRM? Keep in mind that the quality can differ, and they can get hit with lawsuit anytime by the music industry.

Now iTunes store is the number 3 music retailer in the US the last time I checked. iTunes REDUCED PIRACY. Why? Ease of use and peace of mind for doing the right thing.

What if I just copy your work and don't pay you for it? Think about it.

 

[alphaod]

Now iTunes store is the number 3 music retailer in the US the last time I checked. iTunes REDUCED PIRACY. Why? Ease of use and peace of mind for doing the right thing.

Number 1 now.

 

[Fuchal]

Its still full-quality like this!

Sorry, that is not full quality. It is still transcoding.

 

[Consultant]

BTW, this has been discussed years and years ago and since then.

Pretty much moot, since Fairplay allow you to burn the music.

iTunes saved the music industry...

It's like saying oh my neighbor only has a low fence, it's easy to walk over there and steal their tree and steal stuff from their yard.

 

[guifa]

There is a program out there if you know where to look that will remove DRM from the pre-iPhone 3G version of iTunes. Fairplay has been and will continue to be cracked. I dunno if it's been updated but it's out there just hard to find. Since most new stuff is available DRM free I just freed my old stuff and am keeping copies of the DRM verion on a hard drive. The utility tho only makes it without DRM, all the personal account information and whatnot is still there.

 

[Unspeaked]

I don't really buy anything off iTunes, but for those of you that do and then break the DRM: why do you even bother buying it? Why not just download it from a file sharing network?

 

[BoyBach]

Doesn't this thread break all kinds of Forum rules?

 

[motulist]

Doesn't this thread break all kinds of Forum rules?

No, not as far as I can see. Discussing the topic of piracy is not at all against forum rules afaik. The thing that's against forum rules is actually discussing HOW to pirate stuff.

 

[Gray-Wolf]

Everything I buy from iTunes, except for the iTunes plus stuff, I burn to a CD, delete the original, then reimport the music. My reason is, my account on this lappy is hair brained, and sometimes tells me I need to authorize the machine, even though it already is. Plus, I have a back up that way, if I screw my hard drive up. I lost some songs a month or so ago, and learned my lesson. It wasn't fun having to rebuy them.

AND, I do not share my CD's with anyone.

 

[BoyBach]

The thing that's against forum rules is actually discussing HOW to pirate stuff.

Which is exactly what the OP describes:

Basically, all you have to do is open iMovie '08, make a new project, make the movie as long as the song (just out a bunch of one minute titles on there), add the music to the project by just dragging it and letting go when you get the big green square covering all the titles you added, then export the movie as a playable video file. Now, get a MP3 conversion program called Switch (its free) then drag the newly made video file into there and convert it.

And from the Forum rules:

3. Warez/Serials/Keys. Do not post software serial numbers or keys or refer people to specific websites or software whose purpose is to break or bypass software licensing methods, distribute cracks, or obtain or use commercial software or media in violation of its license and/or for copyright violation. Do not ask for or give such help.

 

[motulist]

Which is exactly what the OP describes...

You're right, I missed that part. He should not have given that (albeit extremely easy and non-hacker-seeming) description of how to break the fairplay drm.

EDIT: on second thought, isn't what he described just a transcoding method? If so, then it is not illegal as iTunes itself allows you to burn an audio CD of your iTunes purchased songs.