Hacker to license cracked Apple DRM code to others

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Hacker to license cracked Apple DRM code to others

Jon Lech Johansen, a hacker also known as “DVD Jon,” says he has cracked Apple’s FairPlay digital music copy-protection technology and plans to license the code to others. The Associated Press reports: “Unlike his previous work, which he usually posts for free, the Norway native plans to capitalize on his efforts through his Redwood Shores-based DoubleTwist Ventures, said the company’s only other employee, managing director Monique Farantzos. An unnamed client will soon use the technology so its copy-protected content will be playable on iPods, she said, declining to give any specifics.”

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Comments

21

Well here’s a question… if other online music stores will be able to their music on iPods what does this mean for those subcription services?
Will that play on the iPod? If so wouldn’t that allow us to actually keep (steal) the music since the iPod was not setup to do this or is this something that would be handled in the software… just curious.

Posted by 3rdEye on October 25, 2006 at 10:18 AM (PST)

22

Wouldn’t it be a crack up if he didn’t really crack it but is trying to get money from Apple (to not release it). You know… old fashioned extortion…

Posted by dvdjonmafia on October 25, 2006 at 3:31 PM (PST)

23

the issue isn’t that you can put illegal music on your ipod, nor is it cracking the DRM, it’s just giving more options to ipod owners for where to buy music. Presently, itunes is it. If this is true, you’ve got lots of options, including subscription services. I have no idea why people are upset by that. It’s obvious why apple wouldn’t like it, it would cut into their monopoly.

Posted by jeff on October 25, 2006 at 4:00 PM (PST)

24

but apple, admittedly, hardly makes any money at all off of itunes. i would imagine with the release of the disney movies they are making more now. but isn’t it true that if it were not for the music industry insisting on a thing such as DRM, apple wouldn’t have even implemented it in the first place?

Posted by Jake on October 26, 2006 at 10:12 AM (PST)

25

i think that dvd jons haker code is fake because why would he share it with world probaly for plublisty

Posted by kj on October 26, 2006 at 2:19 PM (PST)

26

I don’t see the big hoopla over this. Apple will just alter FairPlay as they have in the past.

Posted by TC on October 27, 2006 at 7:58 AM (PST)

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