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DRM Lid Blown Off Of iTunes Music Store...Again |
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 As MacRumors points out, PlayFair, an OS X application that allows the user to strip the protection from music purchased at the iTunes Music Store, has now resurfaced as 'hymn'. Playfair first came out about a month ago, and Apple quickly issued forth a legal smackdown to the program. Well, the program has new legal backing out of India, apparently, the group behind it is making a stand.
As the creators of hymn state on their site, "The purpose of hymn is to allow you to exercise your fair-use rights under copyright law". The program is intended to free you from the harsh restrictions of iTMS DRM and allow you to do whatever you want with it including play it on UNIX-based or even Windows operating systems.
Whether or not these are the only uses it will be restricted to is the question of course. Piracy is Apple's worry, and it's a valid concern.
Some people, including many of us here at 2GAMAAW, find Apple's DRM restrictions rather lenient, especially with the advent of iTunes 4.5, which increases the amount of computers you can play the music on from three to five. And if you did need to convert a file or three to mp3 (or some other format) for your own purposes you could do so without a program such as hymn. In fact, Apple's own iMovie will convert the iTMS files to AIFF: you just import them into a project, pull the AIFF file out the the iMovie project's folder, toss it back into iTunes, and then "Convert to MP3".
But hymn throws everything in Apple's face, in the name of fair use rights. Whether you agree with DRM or not, the iTunes Music Store terms of use say that you "agree that you will not attempt to, or encourage or assist any other person to, circumvent or modify any software required for use of the Service or any of the Usage Rules."
So what do ya think? Should fair use win out - if you buy a song, should you be able to do anything and everything you want with that song? Or should Apple and the record labels be able to protect their investments and provide reasonable limits to what can be done with the product they sell?
A final thought on the matter - should anyone who uses hymn just so they can listen their iTMS-bought music on a Dell Digital Jukebox be (a) placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds (b) tied to a horse and dragged through the street (c) awarded the crown of "Most tasteless person ever" or (d) pelted with fishsticks? Feel free to write in your own answer. |
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May 11 2004, 9:24 PM EDT, by
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Comments:
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| cAtraXx |
5/11/04, 11:41 PM EDT |
Let them do what they want, but i'd say: If they want to pirate it they do not need to do it via iTunes, they could use gnutella, Direct Connect or Kaazaa ... it so much easier then ripping it from iTunes.
However, if you buy a song on iTunes you at least know that it's good quality.
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| nhmacusr |
5/12/04, 3:40 PM EDT |
Well, this one is a hornets nest. I think that cAtraXx has a strong point that there are easier ways to get/pirate music. I understand the the thought by some users. I too have a heterogeneous network in my home (more than one OS). IT would be nice to run a daapd webserver in my house and share all of my music.
Your right about the agreement. You do agree to not tamper with the DRM and except for the above reason I can't think of why you would (other than to play it on anotehr brand of player too).
One side of me says that if you aren't going to share stuff outside of your network, who would know?
I think if you played a deDRM'd file on another player steve jobs would come on and say "Good Morning Mr. Phelps. The player you are listening to will self destruct in 5 sec ..........."
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| david |
5/12/04, 5:36 PM EDT |
I refuse the idea that I can buy a product and the rules can change at any time. Imagine GM telling me as I write my check for that new Saturn Ion that at any time during my ownership they have the right to force me to use a certain kind of gas, get repairs done at only certain shops, or only use certain waxes. Outrageous! I refuse to spend a dime at the iTunes store.
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| peter |
5/12/04, 8:39 PM EDT |
I will need this so I can play on a Roku Soundstream wirelessly in my lounge!
:-)
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| nhmacusr |
5/12/04, 9:09 PM EDT |
david....
I understand where your coming from and that is definately your choice as an informed consumer (and if you read these forums I am all for thst :) ). But in the end, all that means is that iTunes is not for you.
But be forwarned, the same thing can happen with CDs. If it wanted to the RIAA could ban CDs tomorrow. They could price hike them to $25 and no one could say a thing.
You know that there is an old joke that the mafia has gone legit and they own all of the parking lots in Manhatten. Well, they own almost all of the big name recording studios too.
I can understand your frustration with DRM, the undeniable truth is that you are not immune to DRM with any media. Your repair analogy isn't too far off with CDs either. Not all CDs are available in every store. Why do you think that is? It is because the RIAA wants it that way.
If you don't think it's true, wait until the replacement for the CD comes out. It will be so revolutionary that it won't play in anything but certain players. You mark my words.
Peter, that is exactly what I was getting at with my post. How much are those things going for? I was thinking about getting one of those 500 MHz iBooks to do that. They are coming down every day on eBay :)
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| stickman67 |
5/12/04, 11:29 PM EDT |
Hymn (23rd Psalm)
O Steve is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to download in sweet iTunes:
He leadeth me beside the Music Store.
He restoreth my albums:
He leadeth me in the paths of musicality for iPod's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of Gates,
I will fear no Real: For Steve art with me;
Thy Mac and thy Panther, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a songfest before me in the presence of mine DJs;
Thou annointest my iPod with tunes; My earbuds runneth over.
Surely grooving and dancing shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the House of His Steveness forever.
Amen.
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| cAtraXx |
5/14/04, 11:14 PM EDT |
LOL ! :D
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| Rocko |
5/30/04, 2:40 AM EDT |
well done stickman
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