Wednesday, 30 August 2006

FairUse4WM Strips DRM Copy Protection from Windows Media Files to Allow Playback

There's a new program on the loose that removes the Digital Rights Management (DRM) from Windows Media files. Called FairUse4WM, the Windows program strips the DRM'd from the targeted Windows Media file. There's a number of checks in the program designed to prevent it from being used to abet piracy, making sure you're only using it to 'free' your files for your own personal use. Also of note is that it only cracks DRM one song at a time, further thwarting potential piracy.

This new utility posted to Doom9.org completely threatens that model because anyone can sign up for a month's subscription and download a ton of music and remove the Windows Media DRM protection. Existing members who don't necessarily want to download more music but want to continue listening to their existing subscription library will also be able to strip the DRM protection and stop their subscriptions.

This could have disastrous consequences on Napster and Yahoo subscription music services and it casts doubt on Microsoft's ability to provide DRM to the music companies.

Microsoft will have to make adjustments to the DRM scheme to break FairUse4WM. While the music companies will cringe at this technology, this might ironically have an upside for Microsoft's soon to be released Zune player since many consumers view a weaker DRM as a better DRM.