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Windows Program Enables MP3 Downloading From iTunes
Joey Patterson writes "CNET reports that an independent software developer has released a program called MyTunes that allows people to share and download each other's MP3s on a network via iTunes." This is very much like a Mac program I saw a while back called itunesdl, which allowed one to download MP3s from friends who were sharing their playlists, exactly as MyTunes claims to do.
If you read Slashdot regularly, you will find an abundance of published stories that seek to push hardware and software beyond their normal limits, thereby allowing greater freedom and possibly skirting the law at the same time.
In this case, I was led to believe that I could use MyTunes to download from computers across the Internet, when in fact it is designed strictly for those who listen to Mp3s across a LAN--like a dedicated music server, for instance. It is not intended to enable sharing of MP3s across the global internet (even though it, too, is a "network").
Thanks Slashdot!
Homestarrunner.net -- It's Dot Com!
It's called KaZaa, or Limewire, or [fill in name here].
Don't forget that Apple actually took this feature away after the RIAA hounds frightened themselves shitless over the potential power of such a system: filesharing that was completely decentralized. So after scaring every recording company, Apple yanked the feature, leaving only local network capabilities.
If this were to become mainstream, music downloading would certainly become more interesting again. Having full albums, possibly CD art, and the like all included as you drag files over or (at the least) simply streaming MP3s without a centralized network would be an awesome power. Friends would merely share IP addresses and have access to libraries of music, allowing others to view libraries of music and download selectively.
In fact, there are really only two problems with this system: only being able to download from one user at a time and no simple way of browsing libraries beyond your friends' libraries. All in all however, it makes iTunes a compelling choice as the next KaZaa.
Now we just need a convenient way to load those pesky protected AAC files....
The Political Programmer
This doesn't seem quite sound...this guy will get shut down. Hell, his own website contradicts him. He says this:
Tunes is mainly meant to be used as a music manager and means of purchasing music online. However, in addition to purchasing music, one can listen to any of the music shared by others on a network. So, for example, if another person on your network has iTunes and decides to share their music, you can listen to it. iTunes does not allow you to save this music to your hard drive. MyTunes lifts this restriction by allowing you to save music from other computers to your hard drive.
Then he says, down at the bottom, something of a "disclaimer" which, although I am not a legal specialist, does not sound like it has any legitimacy:
If you plan on stealing music, do not download this software. If you plan on infringing upon copyrights, do not download this software. Only download this software if you plan on acting responsibly. Warranty: There is absolutely no warranty of any kind whatsoever with this software. The software is provided to you "AS-IS", and all risks and losses associated with its use are assumed by you. In no event shall the author of this software, Bill Zeller, be held accountable for any damages or losses that may occur from use or misuse of the software. Use at your own risk. And remember, copyright infringement is illegal. If you have any question whether what you're doing constitutes an infringement, visit the RIAA's great anti-piracy website.
He also links to Apple's iTunes website, which has to have some sort of legal implications, seeing as this is a program which can (potentially) be used in malignant ways.
It'll be interesting to see if Apple tries to do an "over-the-internet auto update" like Microsoft does with its patches, for this, or if they try to guise a fix for this as a "feature upgrade". If they do, they better have some new features. This is exactly what iTunes update to 4.0.1 did for Mac users, when it was discovered people could share music with other exact IP addresses.
Filesharing of copyrighted material, in most cases is wrong...end of story...
Sure, limited swapping of music amongst friends (mix tapes, party mixes) is absolutely 'fair use', no question, but no one believes programs like this or iTunesDL have any other use than the wholesale theft of music that the user has not payed for...
I would make one important exception -- something that we had, but lost due to just this type of wrongheaded thinking -- sharing your own music with yourself remotely...iTunes had this originally and it was removed because of abuse...so you already fucked it up for us...
We apologise for the fault in this post. Those responsible have been sacked. -- Signed RICHARD M. NIXON
Exactly! And the article wonders whether this will cause trouble between Apple and the music companies?! How, when the encrypted music files bought from ITMS are still as protected as they ever were?
This is a nice program, but a dopey article.
quiquid id est, timeo puellas et oscula dantes.
Giving money to your enemy BAD
Stealing from your enemy GOOD
The slimes responsible for the DMCA are my enemy. At this point, appeasement will no longer work. It's time to bankrupt the RIAA. Steal, download or buy used if you must have their music, but remember that every song purchased on iTMS prolongs the reign of the RIAA and helps fund more lawsuits.
As far as I know you can already share a folder (read only) and allow anyone on a network to copy the music and you can already stream music through iTunes to anyone on a network. The only question would be if is these things are sufficiently harder on a Windows machine to require a special program?
"She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
"that won't be enough to stop the ensuing shit storm. Last time something like this happened (iTunes 4.0 on the mac) it was discovered that you could enable music sharing over the entire internet. The RIAA jumped down Apple's throat."
The problem was the sharing across the internet, which was addressed by iTunes sharing being limited (in the first upgrade to iTunes) to LAN's, after which the record companies were fine with it -- people SHOULD be able to move music freely around their home, but not copy it to strangers across the internet. Since this program is functionally identical to programs that have been out for the Mac for many months, it doesn't introduce anything dramatically new, just evens up the PC users with the Mac users. Which is to say that music can be copied across a LAN but not the internet, and music sold by iTunes can be copied but not played without authorization. It's about the same as if someone turned on file sharing, and shared their Music folder to the LAN. That being said, I'd expect Apple to do what it can to discourage the availability of MyTunes, just as they did before with the comparable Mac app's.
It's not like Apple could prevent people from using file sharing to simply share their Music folders onto the LAN. It's not as slick a UI as iTunes, but certainly adequate.
Enable 3D printed prosthetics!
MyTunes going open source is actually a bad move in this case. Hacks & a more broad functionality for MyTunes will likely be accelerated by going open source. While another app or two is required to get full-fledged Kazaa-like sharing over the internet currently, this would be quickly integrated into an open source MyTunes. OSS development would probably keep ahead of any desperate attempts by Apple engineers to restrict illegal file-sharing by iTunes users, including AAC files.
What would be the result of this? Major labels terminating their license agreements with Apple to sell music via iTMS, certainly. iTunes subsequently waning in utility & popularity as other players catch up with iTunes while still offering secure online music purchases (these also eventually fall prey to their own myTunes if they get popular enough). Either Apple and others exit market leaving us where we started before all this, or hardware-enforced DRM (such as Palladium) gets a further boost from this obvious example of the dangers of lax DRM.
Good job! Net result will be a worse future than present. Yeah, yeah, OSS = Good; Proprietary = Evil, etc etc. In the practical world we live in, open source may actually hurt the market & consumer choice in this case.