RSSBSkyB Shuts Video Service After DRM Crack
By Ed Oswald | Published September 13, 2006, 12:01 PM
A crack in the digital rights management software for Windows Media caused a British television network to suspend its movie and sports content download service while it updates the DRM on its files. A program called FairUse4WM is able to strip the copy protection from files.
"In order to make an essential update to the Sky by broadband security system, we are sorry that access to all movies and some sports content has been temporarily suspended," TV network BSkyB said in a statement on its site. "We will keep you posted on progress and apologise for any inconvenience."
BSkyB is busy applying a patch quickly released by Microsoft to combat the problem. However, the FairUse4WM creators struck again not soon after the patch's release, updating the software to crack Windows Media DRM once again. There was a critical difference this time: unlike the first version, which stripped the DRM from an entire library, this version only worked on one file at a time.
DRM has become a point of contention among those who argue for more freedom on the Internet. Apple has been a target, both by the French legislature and a host of Scandinavian countries. Several interest groups have also spoken out on the subject.
The argument revolves around the right to take purchased content and use it as the owner sees fit. It is especially prescient in light of the iPod's success; while there is only one music store for the iPod, iTunes, there are dozens based on the Windows Media platform.
Such an unbalanced market has created a need for programs like FairUse4WM, although even those who have advocated for fair use advise against their use.
"Forget about breaking the DRM to make traditional uses like CD burning and so forth," the Electronic Frontier Foundation has said. "Breaking the DRM or distributing the tools to break DRM may expose you to liability under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) even if you're not making any illegal uses."
In any case, it has given some content providers like BSkyB cold feet, and they have pulled their services offline to apply the fix. Microsoft has assured its partners that it has a team "working around the clock" to close the holes opened by FairUse4WM.
The Redmond company said it would use "the built-in renewability features of Windows Media DRM" to send the fix to users, as it did the first time. Microsoft gave no timetable for when it expects to release another update.
Great, now they gotta crack it again before they can download it again.
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|i don't remember EVER having to update my vcr to play or record video content. i also don't remember any cable companies restricting access because vcr's came about. (although, i do remember black bars when trying to dub protected content)
:-p
is this shutdown and update going to be a continual occurrence as the cracking of DRM is sure to be?
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|Wrong question.
The right question is whether there's anything worth watching!
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|Your VCR did not make a copy essentially identical to the source!
Given the nature of what they are distributing, and the agreements thay most likely have regarding the content with the content owners, what they did was an responsible action. Many would have simply pleaded ignorance and continued to make money!
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|Did they stop selling cd's when they could be ripped ?
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|Were they selling copy-protected CDs?
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|Did they give up because it was too easy to be cracked and it would continually be cracked?
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|No! But if youhad read the article, "they have pulled their services offline to apply the fix".
Sorry thats such a complicated concept to grasp!
Take your anti-DRM whine somewhere else! The content owner's can do whatever they want with it, even if you and/or I disagree! If you don't like it, don't buy it!
By the way, I have decided that I am entitled to use your car whenever I want. Where are the keys? I'm sure you'll agree, after all, I have decided that I have rights to it!
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|I'm pretty sure if you purchased his car, then you do have rights to it. :P
I'd be asking for a refund (at least in part) if I had paid for the service that Sky is obviously not supplying.
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|If I buy a book, there's no protection on it to say where I can and can't read it. Yet I could still copy the book if I wanted. I listen to the radio, but there's no restriction to say where I can and can't listen to it. Yet I could still copy the programme off the radio if I wanted. Can you tell me how the seeming need for DRM on films and television is somehow special and different?
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|Trying to make a file uncopyable is like trying to make water not wet.
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|There are indeed restrictions regarding whether you can legally copy copyrighted books, replay radio or TV broadcasts and also where you can rebroadcast or show the material!
The simple fact that you can do something does not give your the right to do so.
If you don't like the terms, then don't buy or steal it!
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|"Your VCR did not make a copy essentially identical to the source!"
by the standards back when VCR's came around, yes, they did.
i'm sure our digital video technology will look like crap 20 years from now too.
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|lol,
feel free to make a copy of my car, i don't mind.
heck, make it a digital copy.
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|You are an idiot. I am talking about being able to transfer media from one place to another. If I buy a song from Apple to play on the iPod, I can't chose to play it on my stereo through my speakers. You are a d!ck mate.
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