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Apple's iTunes DRM Dilemma

Posted by kdawson on from the how-FairPlay-works dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Understanding how Apple's FairPlay DRM works helps to answer a lot of questions: why it hasn't been replaced with an open, interoperable DRM that anyone can use, why Apple isn't broadly licensing FairPlay, and why the company hasn't jumped to add DRM-free content from indie artists to iTunes."

3 of 282 comments (clear)

  1. On a mostly unrelated note... by slagheap · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    It seems the Apple TV is delayed.

    As of tonight, my order for the Apple TV from the Apple Store online is now set to ship on March 20. It had said Feb. 28 until at least this morning. I ordered the day it was announced, so I should be one of the earliest buyers.

    --
    First against the wall when the revolution comes
  2. Re:Open DRM? by JimDaGeek · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I think people might have answered your question. Just in case...

    GPG is totally open. You can see the code. However, seeing the code means nothing. My key is secret, so you won't be cracking my encrypted files very easily just because you can see the code to Gnu GPG (redundant I know). My GPG encrypted files are pretty darn safe, even though you can "see the code".

    Seriously, how many people out there think that "seeing the code" means you "ownz" it? I have been a programmer for more than a decade. Just seeing code means crap, especially when it comes to encryption. In fact, the best encryption is open source, where you can, OMG, see the code. Now if you had my keys... well that would be another story :-)

    --
    General, you are listening to a machine! Do the world a favor and don't act like one.
  3. To the abusive moderators by linefeed0 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I like it how you're only using "overrated" so you'll never have to answer to meta-mod. You're modding me down because it's the truth, and you don't want it seen. It's too bad only mac fanatics read deep into the comments of the Apple articles here. Grow some damn balls and give me a real rating. I've got enough karma to burn anyway. And if any editors are reading this, please investigate the abuse of the moderation system here.

    Also, I'm not accusing all Mac fans of this kind of bias. Of the major blogs (ignoring all the rumor sites), only RoughlyDrafted really shows journalism skills worthy of Fox News. I might disagree with John Gruber, for instance, but I actually like reading Daring Fireball from time to time and I find his observations insightful to the extent that I care to keep track of that particular sector of the industry.