TAG | Time to say a prayer for Hymn? |
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| by Stephen Withers | |
| Monday, 25 February 2008 | |
  
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In an apparent effort to avoid a complete takedown, the operators of the Hymn project have removed the files and any links to copies on other sites. "In no way has this site ever promoted piracy," wrote site moderator 'DrmBytes'. "[W]e feel that artists should be compensated for their work. We truly believe that people should be able to free the music they've legally purchased from the shackles of DRM." In a later post, DrmBytes suggested the trigger for Apple's letter was that someone posted a link to Requiem, a new program that actually decrypts FairPlay-protected files using reversed-engineered code. This contrasts with other methods that work by intercepting data streams after decryption by Apple's software. Messages about Requiem in other forums (eg, Google's archive of newsgroup postings) have also been deleted in response to legal complaints. Other software that can be used for similar purposes, including the recently released doubleTwist, is still available. Some people view the development as a trigger to move their business to other music retailers. "Because I can no longer remove the DRM from songs I purchase legally from iTunes, I am boycotting the iTunes store and purchasing all my future music from vendors who no longer shackle their music with the chains of DRM," wrote DrmBytes. "Look, I'm not stupid, I'm fully aware that my boycott has absolutely NO effect on Apple's bottom line and they couldn't care less about it," s/he added. "Basically [the tools were] to restore the rights I have with a physical purchase of a CD. Now that Apple has decided to crack down on all tools, there's no reason for me to purchase from their store. Support those who sell music without DRM." Not all music sold by the iTunes Store is protected by DRM, and Apple CEO Steve Jobs has challenged the music industry to drop DRM. Apart from EMI, the major labels seem reluctant to provide Apple with DRM-free music, even though they do make unprotected tracks available through other online retailers such as Amazon. At this stage, Apple has considerably wider geographical coverage than other retailers selling DRM-free tracks. |
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