Download unprotected iMS m4a

[Spoon]

Apples itunes music store (iMS) works by having un-encrypted audio files and it is upto iTunes on your PC to encrypt the .m4a file after purchased from iMS.

DVD Jon has created his own program to download purchased audio files without encryption:

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000267036571/

[LtData]

And this, ladies and gentlemen (and neil), is why relying on client-side protection of any sort is a bad idea.

[iTunesIsEvil]

DVD Jon's program ceased to work as of Monday.

Apple has changed the way that iTunes contacts their phobos server; which handles machine authentication, de/authorization, signing up for an account, a forgotten password, your 'shopping cart', and other things (check http://phobos.apple.com/secureBag.xml.gz).

DVD Jon's previous software had interfaced as a version prior to 4.7.1, and now the ONLY version of iTunes that can talk to Phobos is 4.7.1. So before anyone can get an application to acquire their "DRM Keys" from Apple (or download songs, previews, etc etc), they've got to figure out how iTunes talks to the server now.

Amusingly enough Phobos is Greek for 'fear' or 'phobia.' Maybe Apple's idea of a joke with the RIAA's and the 5 major record companies' fear of piracy. Phobos is also a moon of Mars; which in about 50million years is doomed to either crash into the planet or be broken up into a 'ring' a-la Saturn.

Edit: DVD Jon has released a patch for the iTMS 4.7 encryption. Now we just have to figure out how to use it.... wheee!

[LtData]

Psymusique now also cracks Napster's DRM. More info here: http://www.neowin.net/comments.php?id=27924&category=main