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Privatunes Anonymizes iTunes Plus
njondet writes "French-law.net
reports that Ratatium.com, a French website specialized in technology news and software downloads, has just launched
Privatunes, a free software that anonymizes DRM-free files bought on iTunes Plus. Last month's revelations that the DRM-free files sold by EMI on iTunes Plus came with user's full name and account e-mail embedded in them had raised serious privacy concerns. Ratatium.com
explains (in French) that Privatunes is aimed at guaranteeing the privacy of users but also their rights as consumers to freely share and trade the songs they have purchased. However, the claim that this software is perfectly legal will surely be tested."
From their site:
5 reasons to erase private information from my legally acquired iTunes Plus library:
Yeah. A name and email address. On an electronic file that you purchased. In name and email address fields in the clear. How...wrong.
1. Am I still a child who needs his pencilcase and schoolbag tagged with my name?
Utterly irrelevant to the discussion.
2. I bought the damn tune, but someday I may want to sell it (hey, how is it more stupid that selling old CDs ?).
It's not "more stupid" than anything. And since Apple is the first entity that's even allowing this possibility at all with mainstream music from mainstream labels on any meaningful scale, I guess I must not recognize your gratitude.
3. I just have a thing for privacy. Is it dirty?
No, but it's dirty when you think everything is automatically an "invasion of privacy".
4. How the heck do I know it's not gonna be shared on P2P networks by my 6 year old step sister???
How do you know the reason the name and email address is there is for tracking file sharers? How do you even know that would stand up in court? Why does everyone assume that's the reason it's there? Has it occurred to you that this might have been a concession to the labels to make them "feel good", or any number of other reasons? Has it occurred to you that since name and email address have always been included in all purchases from the iTunes store that, uh, maybe nothing has changed?
What if the EU mandates a system for returns and refunds someday from the iTunes store? Wouldn't your account name and email be an easy way for normal individuals to return songs? And before anyone says, "Well, it should be encrypted, then," can you honestly look at me with a straight face and tell me you wouldn't be even more upset that Apple was including unknown personal information, encrypted, in each song bought from iTunes? If it's there at all, it's actually preferable that it's plaintext, because then there are simple ways to remove it without anyone being able to claim that you're breaking some law for removing encrypted information or some other ridiculous thing.
"But it shouldn't be there in the first place."
I know, this is the part is a difficult situation since it is mandatory for all persons on earth to purchase from only the iTunes store. If only Apple didn't force you to buy no-DRM songs from iTunes.
Oh, wait...
5. I thought good customer-seller relationship ment something like... how do they say, "trust' ?
Why do you assume that an electronic item you purchased yourself from the iTunes store having your name and email address embedded in internationally standardized MPEG-4 atoms intended exactly for that purpose somehow equates to lack of "trust"? "Trust" to do what?
I thought the main argument against DRM was so that we could use our files anywhere we wished, on any device we wished. Now we can. Sure, it has your name and email address in it. It's not hidden. It's not a secret. It doesn't matter if most normal users don't realize this. It's still not hidden, nor is it a secret. Most "normal users" don't "realize" a lot of things.
And from the summary:
However, the claim that this software is perfectly legal will surely be tested.
Tested by whom or what? For what purpose?
The software is perfectly legal. Why is this even in doubt? It's a file with no DRM, and you're removing text that is IN THE CLEAR, IN PLAINTEXT in the file that YOU BOUGHT. Removing it by ANY MECHANISM is perfectly legal in any jurisdiction I can think of.
No DRM means just that: no DRM. No encryption. No reverse engineering. No DMCA provisions. Etc.
If you want to make an anonomyzing tool, great. But don't puff it up to be more than it is.
Again, my favorite quote that sums up the stupidity of the outrage over a name and email address being in a file you purchased, from a Gartner analyst: