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iTunes DRM Hole Closed

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the closeahole-whacamole dept.

FrYGuY101 writes "As recently covered on Slashdot, there was a hole in iTunes which allowed music to be acquired from the iTunes Music Store without Apple's DRM applied. Well, Apple has just released an update which closes this exploit."

10 of 594 comments (clear)

  1. Forces upgrade by danbond_98 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Which of course requires that everyone upgrade their itunes to version 4.7. Apparently you can still use PyMusique to preview tracks, just not buy them.

  2. What did Apple "just release"? by DavidLeblond · · Score: 5, Informative

    iTunes 4.7 has been out for a year now. Apple didn't "just release" anything, they just made it so their servers required you to have 4.7.

  3. Re:Who exactly... by crimguy · · Score: 5, Informative

    Good question. Unfortunately, Apple will require the upgrade for continued use of the iTMS.

  4. Apple bias. by northcat · · Score: 5, Informative

    It didn't plug a "hole". It modified things so that PyMusique won't work anymore. Like they did with Real.

  5. Re:Impressive by ray-auch · · Score: 5, Informative

    Note that (per previous news stories, and probably on /. too) the update they are now forcing has more limits on what you can do with the music.

    See eg. here.

    Note the comments about no one being forced to upgrade... well, not any more.

  6. Re:No surprise by webbroberts · · Score: 5, Informative

    If you really care about making money, then you definitely want to avoid the industry contract.

    Steve Albini published an excellent rundown of how the industry screws signed bands. In summary:

    The Balance Sheet: This is how much each player got paid at the end of the game.

    Record company: $ 710,000
    Producer: $ 90,000
    Manager: $ 51,000
    Studio: $ 52,500
    Previous label: $ 50,000
    Agent: $ 7,500
    Lawyer: $ 12,000
    Band member net income each: $ 4,031.25
  7. Re:No surprise by smcdow · · Score: 5, Informative
    As the leader of a small-time garage band, I would LOVE to have a label come along and "exploit" us with a five-year, multi-million dollar record contract, even if it meant seeing every (crappy) song I ever wrote locked down by eeeeeevil DRM layers.

    You have no idea what you're talking about. I know bands (I live in Austin, of course I know bands) that have not only didn't make money on their contracts, but ended up in debt to their record companies. The record companies charge their "expenses" to the band. Bands get a "statement" every month showing all the details and transactions, and the band has to arrange to repay any negative balances on the statement. The record company can use this to blackmail the band -- like not releasing an album and locking down the masters so that the band couldn't release the album under any circumstances. It's all legal because, well, the band signed the contract.

    Word to the wise: If you do get a record contract, and your AR guy shows up one day to "take you out to lunch", just simply decline. Otherwise, you'll be the one paying for lunch, 'cause they'll just charge the band for a lunch "expense". It'll show up on your next "statement". Especially if you were signed by a major label. True story.

    --
    In the course of every project, it will become necessary to shoot the scientists and begin production.
  8. Re:so hymn no longer works then... by ndvaughan · · Score: 5, Informative

    I just upgraded to iTunes 4.7.1 (after Apple released their "fix"), bought and downloaded a two tracks, and used j-hymn 0.7.5 to convert them. It worked flawlessly.

  9. Re:No surprise by Ubergrendle · · Score: 4, Informative

    From a mid-90s interview with Neil Young on Canada's Much Music...

    Pop-tart interviewer: "How do you feel about the commercialisation of rock music? How do you feel when a Bob Dylan song is used to sell cars?"
    Young: "I hold no illusions. We lost. Long ago."
    interviewer:"Did you sell out?"
    Young:"Well, I'm here on your show..."

    --
    John Maynard Keynes: "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do?"
  10. Re:So this is what we come to by dant · · Score: 4, Informative
    So, the music executives have forced DRM on Apple and so they have to provide it in their files.

    Please stop perpetuating this myth. Apple have publicly stated that they would continue to use DRM even if the music labels didn't ask them to.

    FairPlay is about stifling competition as much or more as it is about protecting copyrights.