Cynics Unlimited

The Wire’s blog reports on the inevitable hacking of Napster’s core DRM protection scheme -

A user called “viodentia” on the the [name removed! - CU] message boards … has posted links to a program called FairUse4WM that is capable of cracking Microsoft’s DRM 10, which protects files offered by PlaysForSure-commpatible music stores. The program is an easy-to-use front end to an app called drmbg that strips DRM headers from “secure” WMA files. Although he apparently developed the program to allow people to play their legally purchased music on the device of their choice, the potential for abuse is fairly high.

Recall Napster was the original “free” peer to peer music (P2P) sharing system that had the record industry hysterical over the threat of online piracy. The semi-decentralized P2P network allowed users to search each others’ hard drives for MP3 music files which often contained copyrighted music and audio books. The network was eventually shutdown in 2001 via a court injunction The brand name later resurfaced as a pay service (fronting Roxio’s PressPlay) but by its release was already overshadowed by the commercial success of Apple’s Itunes.

Like the majority of commercial music services, Napster applies Digital Rights Management (DRM) to its music files. Designed to protect the interests of copyright holders, DRM typically restricts the number and types of devices upon which a downloaded file can be played. Restrictions can also be set on burning the file to audio CD and in some cases the number of times a file can be copied in any capacity. Many users object to the use of DRM, citing they should be able to play legally purchased files whenever and however often they like. It is on this premise that hackers “officially” release products like FairUse4WM to remove bothersome DRM and allow legal purchasers more freedom in the usage of their music. Similar hacks have been released to defeat DRM schemes from rival pay services like Itunes and Audible.com.

It was only a matter of time before Microsoft’s DRM was hacked. All forms of copy protection have to be decrypted by some sort of software algorithm before the song can be played, which provides an opportunity for hackers to duplicate the decryption technique or redirect the output of the decrypted data. Combined with Napster’s unlimited monthly subscription model, users could use FairUse4WM to remove DRM from hundreds or thousands of copyrighted songs and make the unprotected music files widely available via current P2P sharing systems … or at least this is what the record companies fear. What is more likely is that a moderate number of Napster users will make use of this hack to liberate their files for wider use, while the file trading community at large will ignore it past the novelty stage (most popular music is available on BitTorrent / IRC / FTP long before it reaches the pay services).

Hosting or linking to a circumvention tool like FairUse4WM would be suicidal for a site hosted in the United States, which is plagued with the draconian Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Hence, you’re on your own for finding the tool. Be creative.