Microsoft Copy Protection Hacked (Again)by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 18 Jul 2007 05:48 AM Copy protecting music files that are purchased or shared electronically has always been an issue for the music industry. Elaborate DRM (Digital Rights Management) technology has been developed as a way to stop, or at least curb illegal sharing of music files. But DRM technology, at least when it relates to the Microsoft Windows Media software, is a target for hackers. The hackers claim that it is unfair to have restrictions on music files that have been legally purchased. For example, if you purchase a song and want to have it on more than one device, such as a desktop, a music player, a laptop, etc. Currently, the Microsoft DRM technology is used mostly for songs and music clips that are downloaded from the infamous Napster. The technology currently allows each song to be shared on up to three computers. It also allows for a unlimited number of times that it can be saved to a disk. But hackers want the DRM technology to be completely stripped away, and they are working hard to do just that. Last friday, a hacking website called Doom9.org contained a post with a link to an updated version of FairUse4WM, a program that strips the DRM technology from Windows Media files. A previous version was released back in August of last year. A statement by Microsoft, in reaction to the news, read: "Microsoft is aware of the DRM issue, and the breach response team is verifying the circumvention." Microsoft has updated its DRM technology twice before in response to FairUse4WM, but there is no word yet as to when a new software update to this latest threat will be released. Competitor Apple Inc.'s iTunes store currently sells some DRM-free music files through its premium iTunes Plus service. The files cost a little more than standard music files, but they are also of a higher quality. Mary Ann Romans also writes for the Frugal Living Blog here at Families.com, where she shares money saving tips for today's families. Related Articles Is DRM-Free Music A Privacy Threat? Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantcomputers tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags apple, DRM, microsoft, music, Windows Media Discuss this article
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