FairUse4WM cracks Windows Media DRM

Filed under: Audio, Utilities, Windows, Microsoft

FairUse4WM cracks Windows Media DRM

by Jordan Running Aug 25th 2006

Critics of online music stores like the new Napster and Yahoo! Music Unlimited say by giving them you're money you're really just renting your music, since if you stop paying their fees, you lost the ability to listen to the tracks you've downloaded. But if the makers of FairUse4M have anything to say about it, that's no longer the case. Engadget has the scoop on this new, probably-illegal program for Windows that strips the DRM from Windows Media 10 and 11 files, allowing you to play those Napster tracks indefinitely, even after you've canceled your subscription. Engadget's Ryan Block says, "we can verify with all certainty that yes, Windows Media DRM can now be easily and quickly stripped from PlaysForSure media services," but it didn't work on their Vongo videos or Windows Media 9 DRMed files. This is a pretty big deal for Microsoft, which has busily been ensuring record companies for years that PlaysForSure is the best way to protect their content. For awhile software has been available that strips the DRM from music purchased from Apple's iTunes Music Store--the difference is, one had to pay for each of those tracks in the first place, whereas with Windows Media-based subscription stores, one could buy a one-month subscription and potentially unlock tens of thousands of files for the price of a single CD (or for free, if one takes advantage of a free trial period). Yow.

Tags: crack, cracked, drm, fairuse, fairuse4wm, windowsmedia

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

pwned said 1:46PM on 8-25-2006

It only does one file at a time, but when it can do batch files, holee molee.

Twice said 1:46PM on 8-25-2006

Interesting, what Microsoft can yet? :)

Bob Jones said 1:59PM on 8-25-2006

Damn, whiny hippies.

They don't own the right to do that, damn law breakers.

Derek Slater said 3:11PM on 8-25-2006

I posted about this last night, along with analysis:
http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/cmusings/2006/08/25#a1889

In short, "While interesting news, it's rather irrelevant to online media services using WM DRM. Most users won't care about these decryption tools, not because the DRM is 'consumer-friendly,' but rather because there are already readily-accessible alternatives to acquire unencrypted copies and thus get around the DRM's unfriendly limits."

pwned said 5:29PM on 8-25-2006

But this one is free and lets you get all the music you shouldnt own after your subscription is up.

You can get a free trial on Napster or Yahoo!, DL subscription tracks, cancel the trial and keep tons of music for free.

james said 8:21PM on 8-25-2006

Um, I think you might be interested in MuvAudio. It does batch and if Media Player can play it, MuvAudio can convert it.

Now where did I read about this, oh right, it was right here: http://www.downloadsquad.com/2005/12/13/gift-guide-muvaudio/

Jordan Running said 9:31PM on 8-25-2006

MuvAudio is great, James, but unless I'm mistaken its intended purpose is to allow you to move tracks between devices, not to remove subscription limits as is the case with FairUse4WM.

Qwfwq said 10:20PM on 8-25-2006

To Derek Slater: I think that you make a valid point, but one that begs the question "Why do online media services bother with DRM in the first place?". By your reasoning, online music publishers shouldn't be very worried with these DRM circumvention methods because the people willing to use them, are already getting their music from other illicit sources. It's therefore reasonable to assume that their clientele is mostly composed of people who ethically choose to pay for the music they consume. That is, I believe, what is already happening with the market of CD music. People, like myself, who buy CDs make the moral choice of doing so, as the music could easily be obtained in another way for free and without risk.
Why, then, do the online music companies insist in burden the music files with worthless DRM? Is it just corporate mentality, this DRM zeitgeist? eMusic has been dealing without it for some time, and seems to be thriving. Why do the other companies refuse to let go of DRM?

james said 1:57AM on 8-26-2006

Jordan,

Anything that Windows Media player can play (like subscription music from Yahoo Music) MuvAudio can rip to MP3 or WMA formats, effectively removing the DRM. I can not speak to what the makers of MuvAudio intent is, but it can be used to share music outside the PlaysForSure gates and to retain that music once a subscription service has been terminated.

I am not much of a music junkie so $6 for a cd at yourmusic.com works for me. Except that they are missing a few Cake albums.

resource said 4:52PM on 8-27-2006

Once you run a key thourgh FairUse4WM, you can do batch files.

I am going to sign up for Yahoo! Unlimited soon. And not just to get the free trial and bail with 1000's of songs.

I am going to be a paying customer bc now I know I can take my songs to any MP3 player I ever get while I am a customer.

Peter Rojas wrote an open letter to Microsoft on Engadget and he is absolutely right about why FairUse4WM is good.

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