DRM-buster DVD Jon has a new target in his sights, and it’s a big piece of fruit. He has reverse-engineered Apple’s Fairplay and is starting to license it to companies who want their media to play on Apple’s devices. Instead of breaking the DRM (something he’s already done), Jon has replicated it, and wants to license the technology to companies that want their content (music, movies, whatever) to play on Apple devices. This may not be good news for iTunes the store, but it could make the iPod even more popular.
Jobs apparently warned that while Apple was not a litigious company, other tech firms might not take kindly to whatever DVD Jon might be up to. Ha!
Johansen doesn’t think what he’s doing is illegal; he’s adding DRM rather than breaking it. He and Farantzos were giddy about the prospect of Apple’s iTV, hoping companies will pay up to get movies on the set-top box when it comes out, after seeing the ill effects of being shut off the iPod. Spurned by Apple? Step right up.
Interesting that he moved to the US, where Apple should be able to wield the DMCA as a club… he must be confident his work is not prohibited.
How will this play differently than in 2004?
http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=136
Interesting. One missing issue: FairPlay relies on a centralized server. Will his replica do this through Apple, or will it be modified so it doesn’t need to?
The difference between this and Real is here Jon is putting non-Apple content onto an Apple platform, not the other way around.
4 The difference between this and Real is here Jon is putting non-Apple content onto an Apple platform, not the other way around.
What???
From 2004:
Harmony allows songs sold via RealNetworks’ online store to be played on a variety of portable devices, including Apple’s iPod…
And Apple doesn’t have to sue, they can just update iTunes, iTMS, and iPods – every now and then.
Apple’s DRM being a “wrapper” distinct from the content allows that wrapper to be changed anytime a new version of iTunes “updates” the user’s music library.
Any customers of Johansen’s software would then be dependent on his company for upgrades during the resulting “arms race”… How much will he charge to keep his client’s software current?
Real thought they might win a court case in support of reverse-engineering for compatibility, but – apparently – didn’t think it was worth the recurring reverse-engineering needed everytime Apple made a tweak.
#3
Absolutely.