PlayFair - Stripping AAC DRM

[ankit]

awesome!

This is great news. Maybe I'll finally buy something from itms now...

 

[wordmunger]

you can play it on multiple compuyters and multiple MP3 players

Well, technically I guess you can play it on the iPod and the iPod mini, so in that sense you can play it on multiple MP3 players. However, you can't burn MP3 CDs, you can't play it on any other media players, even those that support AAC, and you can't play it on any of the wireless networkable stereo thingies (I'm drawing a blank here--you know, the players that allow you to play your iTunes playlist on a stereo). To me this last one is the key. I'd use ITMS a lot more if there was an easy way for my stereo to access my iTunes DRMed AACs. Sounds like this software would do it. Unfortunately it's probably illegal.

 

[bathysphere]

gimme rights.

This is great news. Maybe I'll finally buy something from itms now...

agreed...
i've bought a couple of albums from the itms, primarily albums i wanted but didn't want enough to pay an extra 3 to 5 dollars for. the 'fair' in fairplay and drm are mutually exclusive concepts. while it may not be fair to illegally trade music over kazaa or whatever, it's also not fair that the consumer can't do what they wish with their music. it's really as simple as 'two wrongs don't make a right'.

 

[eSnow]

As I am listening to music which is played by my old Wallstreet connected to the stereo mostly, and I am too cheap to upgrade it with a 30GB HD, I am iTunes-sharing the files from my Linux box over the LAN. Since iTunes does not run on Linux, I use mt-daapd, which of course cannot stream DRM'ed material.

So, this is actually great news for me. Should Apple at one point in the future decide to deploy iTMS/Europe (unlikely, I know), I would actually consider buying music there - which I would not if FairPlay could not be decrypted.

OTOH, it probably still is illegal material if I decrypt it, as you are not allowed to break DRM, right? Then, I can as well continue buying CDs or turn to P2P - after all, illegal is illegal.

 

[pcharles]

As noted on the web site, this tool only allows you to decode your own files. Fair Use, nothing more.

I can understand claims that families where every kid has their own computer might want more distributable music than Fairplay offers, but if you believe this is why the software was developed then you are a fool. There is only one reason to remove the file protection; copyright infringement, and that is how the recording industry will see this.

Fair use is determined by the fairplay system within the file. When you buy that track (or album), you agree to the terms laid down by Apple and agreed on by the record companies. By breaking (or removing) the encryption, you are in breach of contract.

Whether this has any impact on iTMS is another question. Apple is doing their best and iTMS is the best chance artists have to distribute their music, but I am sure something will come of it.

Posting the code is an interesting move though. It suggests they are asking Apple to fix this loophole in the Fairplay system.

 

[eSnow]

At least one good will come out if it (for Apple, not the MI):
the appearance of cracked AACs on P2P will boost the adoption of the (nonprotected) format and make it harder for WMA and mp3.

 

[xparrot]

How do you run this puppy?

Seems I'm the only non-Terminal savvy person here. How do I install/run this thing?

I have a ton of music I paid for through the iTunes music store. I also have a Tivo with the home media option. I can play all my imported music except for the downloaded. Currently there is no way to "authorize" my Tivo.

If you respond, please do so in very basic terms. The Terminal scares the heck out of me.

-Kirk

 

[billyboy]

Not wishing to state the obvious, but surely Apple must know how to break the fairplay DRM. They must also know that one day, someone else would inevitably break it. They must have had a good answer for the record industry who must have put the "what happens when DRM is cracked" question to them.

Any ideas?

 

[SiliconAddict]

I really have mixed feeling on this app. Obviously its ultimate use is to give users more freedom with their music but it’s a foregone conclusion that people will use it to rip iTMS tracks and share them on P2P clients further irking off the already over paranoid RIAA and further stalling more songs from being released to music stores for distribution. Now we know why the RIAA and most music companies have been dragging their heels. They wanted a shakeout of this DRM system and now we know that its as vulnerable as any other. But can anyone really be surprised by this outcome?

I have to admit that I will most likely use this app once a simple program executable is compiled for windows. I will simply because I abhor the 3 system rule. I have 2 laptops, a desktop at home, a primary workstation at work, and a desktop setup in our server room so I can listen to MP3's when I working on a server. This is obviously more then 3 computers and its irked me that I've had to limit myself to a laptop at home, my desktop at home, and my workstation at work. With this app it becomes a moot point. Personally I wish Apple would up the limit to 6. It’s a solid number and one in which the average person isn't likely to go over. Heck I would be happy with 4 but 3 seems a bit too restrictive. Beyond that, AAC support does exist in other applications but there is no way to get around the fairplay DRM consequently some of the cooler things I can do with my music like copy it up to my PDA can't be done with iTMS songs. With this I can actually listen to a small handful of songs on my PDA.

As for further restricting rights. I don't see what good that would do. Lets say Apple removed the streaming feature and decreased the number of computers down to 1. How would this have stopped this app? If nothing else Apple will probably work on tightening what you can do with the music after your system is authenticated so in that regards yah they probably will tighten things down but overall rights? I don't think that will change. What the idiots at the RIAA need to wrap their collective minds around the fact that there will never be a 100% sure fire method of locking down DRM. someone somewhere WILL find a way. And I will bet that this project was born of a Linux user. They have been forsaken by Apple in all of this just like DVD playback was and you saw where that went. What I'm going to be interested in seeing is if this effects sales at all. If not that the RIAA needs to shut the hell up and get to work prodding the remaining artists/music labels to release more of their songs to iTMS, Music Match, Napster, etc. Get this crap out there for us to buy dang it!

 

[Paranoir]

interesting

Looks like some of source forge's mirror's have removed the file.. I was able to get it - but only one one of the eastern european mirrors - all the others were broken.

This is a flagarant violation of the DMCA - even if you don't agree with the law you can't argue that it's in violation. I see this going underground rather quickly.

 

[eSnow]

Not wishing to state the obvious, but surely Apple must know how to break the fairplay DRM. They must also know that one day, someone else would inevitably break it. They must have had a good answer for the record industry who must have put the "what happens when DRM is cracked" question to them.

1) AAC/Fairplay is protected by a DRM system, so in the US, the DMCA applies, in Europe exists a similar law.

2) Therefore, distributing this as binary (executable code = as an application) is very likely ilegal.

3) This will prevent n00bs from easily cracking their AACs, reducing the audience by 90% or so and facilitates hunting down the more educated.

4) CSS encryption of DVDs was broken a long time ago and the things are selling like mad.

In the end, it will not work, though. As long as the computer is an open platform, information will be free in some way or other. Only after the arrivals of "trusted computing platforms" will this change. And, of course, on cell-phones which are closed platforms.

 

[SiliconAddict]

Not wishing to state the obvious, but surely Apple must know how to break the fairplay DRM. They must also know that one day, someone else would inevitably break it. They must have had a good answer for the record industry who must have put the "what happens when DRM is cracked" question to them.

Any ideas?

Yah... **** happens.
They have the source of the software that cracked the DRM. They will patch the hole and move on. I will use a MS Windows excuse for iTunes. If WMA was as popular and as prevalent as iTMS you would see a crack for that software as well. This kind of thing happens.

 

[dloomer]

I agree that Apple will not be completely happy about this (although as people have pointed out, Apple was aware of the burn-then-rip workaround since before iTMS rolled out -- so they might only be moderately ticked off).

I do not agree that there will be any noticeable impact on iTMS sales.

Anyway, for my own personal reasons I'm pretty happy about this. The one thing that has stopped me from buying a HomePod or EyeHome system for my house is the inability of any third-party music player to play protected AAC. I figured I was patient enough that I could just wait for Apple to release their rumored set-top box (which they WILL release in the next year or so, they just have to). I'd still much prefer to have an Apple-branded box, but not knowing how long I'd have to wait for one, this announcement might tip the scales in HomePod's favor for me.

 

[pishnaris]

The file is no longer on the mirrors. Apple moves quickly, eh?

 

[gemio17]

the only reason I buy cds at all is to put them in my iTunes library and then I never even open the cd again-so along these lines, what's the difference between me giving a cd I purchased from an overpriced record store to a bunch of people to rip and me making a cd or dvd of my itms purchased music for others to look through and rip? I bought it, I can do what I want with it. Resale of used cds isn't illegal so what's the problem?

I see absolutely no problem with this software and may I recommend Podworks as another great tool for sharing music between iPods-Hey it just eliminates the time that I would spend going through and ripping other people's cds, and to tell you the truth, a lot of the music that I get from other iPods is not stuff I would buy anyway. I would wait and go through their cd collection and take the stuff I want to rip. I can't imagine why people seriously have a problem with this.

 

[jxyama]

well, i have mixed emotions about this also...

this basically shows that any attempt to limit any aspect of musical data files will be broken - no matter how reasonable or miniscule the restrictions are. i find it disappointing, so to speak, that even with very liberal restrictions iTMS offers, some needs to break them...

so the hope is that RIAA will realize that this is inevitable and try to forget about it... and offer all music without any restrictions and pray that "average" consumers are honest, would walk away from illegal sharing if CD or near-CD quality music is offered online and (most importantly) pay $$$ for them...

of course, "average" consumers won't know much about this kind of DRM stripping app anyway...

 

[psurrena]

terminal

How can anyone view anything that you have to use terminal for as a threat? figuring %99.9 of OSX users don't touch terminal...This is a good app - checks and balances.

 

[padrino121]

Man, this sucks...

Aren't you "allowed" already to share WMA in p2p apps?
I mean, it can be done, right?
How come nobody complains about that?

All of the bad publicity Apple is gonna get now!
DAMN!

You can post unprotected WMA songs on a p2p network just like you can post unprotected AAC files, or any non-DRM content. What's your point?

 

[Trowaman]

Essays for Linux . . .

It comes down to this. It is impossible to play iTMS songs on a Linux computer. Many potential mac users use (or will use) some combination of Macs and Linux PCs. You should be able to play songs on 3 computers, yet, you can't use them on Linux at all. And yes, I know you can burn and re-rip but that results in fairly significant quality loss. Until Apple releases a player thant can play iTMS files in Linux, you will continue to see this (and you'll see it even if they do release such a player, but not with the fervor or frequency).

Well, I'm against this new app, but you sir are the only person I've seen so far to name why this new app is a good thing and say why. This would solve the linux issue and I could see people using it for that purpose but I say more people using this program for "evil" rather than "good."

Maybe if peole filled out a paper on why they were to download the app before they did, then some moderators went over it and judged whether their reason was legitamate and let them download accordingly then this would be great.

If only the world were a horrible place . . .

 

[jxyama]

the only reason I buy cds at all is to put them in my iTunes library and then I never even open the cd again-so along these lines, what's the difference between me giving a cd I purchased from an overpriced record store to a bunch of people to rip and me making a cd or dvd of my itms purchased music for others to look through and rip? I bought it, I can do what I want with it. Resale of used cds isn't illegal so what's the problem?

the difference is, you have finite number of friends on the order of hundreds at most, i assume. and physical CD can only be at one place at once.

online, there's no limit to how many "friends" you can reach, there's no lost time in transporting the file, you don't run the risk of losing the file and the file can be shared by many at once.

let's not kid ourselves, there are differences. and they can cause different problems.

 

[jxyama]

Well, I'm against this new app, but you sir are the only person I've seen so far to name why this new app is a good thing and say why. This would solve the linux issue and I could see people using it for that purpose but I say more people using this program for "evil" rather than "good."

Maybe if peole filled out a paper on why they were to download the app before they did, then some moderators went over it and judged whether their reason was legitamate and let them download accordingly then this would be great.

If only the world were a horrible place . . .

i agree with most of your points...

and to be able to play iTMS music on linux... well, how about if you are "knowledgeable" enough to use linux and want to play iTMS music on it, why not write your own code to strip DRM? is it "necessary" to distribute the code to the public so others can use them - and let's be real - most will use for illegal purposes...

just a thought. i understand why you'd release it to the public - i just hope something like this won't make apple/RIAA to change policies in ways that will inconvenience 99% of users for the "right" of the 1%.

 

[wordmunger]

why not write your own code to strip DRM? is it "necessary" to distribute the code to the public so others can use them - and let's be real - most will use for illegal purposes...

It's illegal to write such software even for personal use. I believe there are exceptions for educational use, but that's it. Even educators are forbidden from distributing encryption-breaking software they write to fellow educators.

 

[tny]

so how would someone compile this? apparently it works in osx 10.3.3, according to one of the bug reports (mentions the app not correctly copying the album art to the finished file, in 10.3.3). i would like to try this, anyone lend help? or point me to help?

I imagine the reason the app was only released as source code was precisely to make the point that the demonstration is for proof-of-concept only, and not to provide an actual *tool* for distribution that is in violation of the iTunes terms of service. In other words, if you don't know how to compile it, you aren't in the intended audience.

 

[eric_n_dfw]

Keep trying those mirrors - I just got it from a US one

I'd have no use for this except for the fact that Apple's brain dead scheme of de-authorizing a computer is silly. I've had to ask have them re-set my authorized list twice now due to my company re-imaging my Windows machine or some other Windows/iTunes flakyness causing my two Win2000 machines to forget they were authorized. (You must deauthorize a computer, from the authorized computer - thus, if iTunes thinks it's not authorized, it won't de-authorize itself )

 

[billyboy]

the difference is, you have finite number of friends on the order of hundreds at most, i assume. and physical CD can only be at one place at once.

online, there's no limit to how many "friends" you can reach, there's no lost time in transporting the file, you don't run the risk of losing the file and the file can be shared by many at once.

let's not kid ourselves, there are differences. and they can cause different problems.

Surely every single track on iTMS is available on P2P now and was available when it was launched. The sales have still been 50 million plus with restrictions.

Perhaps if it becomes "easy" to circumvent the DRM, more people with a gripe against any limits on purchased music will actually buy more than ever from the iTMS, which at the bottom line is a legal and very convenient source of music.