Microsoft has released a Windows Media patch to prevent a recently released utility, called FairUse4WM, from removing the music and video player's copyright protection technology.
FairUse4WM removes the Digital Rights Management (DRM) from Windows Media files. There are a number of checks in the DRM systemto prevent it from being used to abet piracy, making sure you're only using it to 'free' your files for your own personal use. Also of note is that it only cracks DRM one song at a time, further thwarting potential piracy.
The new utility posted to Doom9.org completely threatens that model because anyone can sign up for a month's subscription and download a ton of music and remove the Windows Media DRM protection. Existing members who don't necessarily want to download more music but want to continue listening to their existing subscription library will also be able to strip the DRM protection and stop their subscriptions.
This could have disastrous consequences on Napster and Yahoo subscription music services and it casts doubt on Microsoft's ability to provide DRM to the music companies.
"We have an update to address the circumvention and are working with our partners to deploy this solution," Marcus Matthias, senior product manager for the Windows Client Division, said in an e-mailed statement. The new tool works only on music files containing DRM technology from versions 10 and 11 of Windows Media player. The application can only work on one file at a time.
"We designed the Windows Media DRM system to be renewable, so that if such events occur the system can be refreshed to address them," Matthias said. "End users are not at risk due to this circumvention. This circumvention is against WM DRM content."
Microsoft will make adjustments to the DRM scheme to break FairUse4WM. While the music companies will cringe at this technology, this might ironically have an upside for Microsoft's soon to be released Zune player since many consumers view a weaker DRM as a better DRM.
