Image courtesy of http://blog.groundswellcollective.com

“Digital Rights Management” — that pesky three-word phrase protecting digital music, video, text, and software from the overactive imaginations (and underactive wallets) of its end users.  Often not-so-affectionately referred to by digital media consumers as “DRM,” this technology has stood in recent years as one of the premier (albeit easily surmountable) roadblocks to file-sharers worldwide, preventing both the copying and the editing of purchased music and video.  Recently, Apple announced that “The Big Four” in music production had at last decided to permit Apple to distribute their music via iTunes free from restrictions imposed by Apple’s house brand DRM system, FairPlay, breeding a new species of Apple music known as iTunes Plus.  In an effort to stir up greater competition in the digital music market, the Big Four had already offered DRM-free contracts to distributers like Amazon.com MP3, whose unprotected digital music, until the inception of iTunes Plus, was on average cheaper ($0.89/song) and of a higher quality (256 kps) than its main competitor.

Despite this viable alternative, however, iTunes managed to remain on top as a distributor of digital music, likely because of its ease of use and shnazzy interface.  Apple’s application of the FairPlay system—per its old contract with the Big Four—however, has remained a major thorn in the side of digital music consumers who desire more maneuverability (distributability?) out of their music files.   The natural response from cyberspace has been the swift, and ever-improving, development of an array of techniques for circumventing Apple’s DRM system.  Take a look at some of the most accessible:

“The Go-To.”  Perhaps the most common practice in the world of “DRM stripping”—popular due to the fact that it is relatively idiot-proof thanks to the iTunes playlist interface—is the burning of a CD full of DRM-protected music, and then the reimporting of those tracks from the disc back into your music library.  The reformatting of the music files necessary for burning effectively removes the DRM protections, rendering the tracks manipulable.  One major drawback: transferring the tracks to CD results in an unrecoverable loss of sound quality that is unacceptable to some listeners.  Still, the method offers unprotected music a la mix-tape-style technology—a Valentine’s Day gift for your significant other now comes with DRM-free kickbacks.

“Google, Rapidshare, and Source Code.”  If you are behind the 8-ball enough to have not yet upgraded your iTunes to version 8.0.2, then a program known as “Requiem” might be your next best bet.  PC and Mac compatible, Requiem is designed specifically for removing DRM protections from both iTunes music and video.  Interestingly, Requiem and Apple have been in a back-and-forth programming battle of wits and source code since the infringing program’s open-source introduction to cyberspace in February of 2008 (on the previously-linked Wikipedia page, scroll down to section 4.4, entitled “Requiem”).  In an attempt to put a final nail in the Requiem coffin, Apple has recently issued a cease-and-desist order to web pages offering a link to Requiem downloads.  True to form, however, dedicated surfers can still access a Rapidshare copy of the install file through popular search engines.  Requiem claims to be almost completely lossless — a fact that can neither be confirmed nor denied by this particular 8.0.2 user.

“I’m Desperate and REALLY Like Computers.”  A method whose ins and outs are far too long and complex to be worth outlining here, this technique involves iMovie HD and a lot of free time.  Suffice it to say, there are many steps, though like the last, it claims to result in a DRM-free copy of your music without the quality loss.  If it has come down to this, then I suggest you get digging.

It should be noted now that though extant, all three of the above methods are, in fact, illegal.  Seriously.  Section 1201 of the DMCA, known more broadly as the “Anti-Circumvention” portion of the Act, states pretty clearly that “No person shall circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work protected under this title.”  DRM happens to be one such “technological measure.”  And the techniques above?  “Circumvention.”  In light of this, I would suggest that the wary reader seriously consider one final option…

“The Legal Option.”  As mentioned, the iTunes Store now offers DRM-free music that you can purchase legally.  So does Amazon.com MP3, Napster, Limewire, among others.  Unique to iTunes, however, is the option to upgrade your previously-purchased, DRM-protected music to iTunes Plus, at a cost of $0.30/song.  Though the library of “upgradable” songs is by no means all-encompassing, it is, at least, a legitimate start.

I would like, however, to pose a final question to the audience:  Is this $0.30 upgrade fee fair?  A not-at-all-hypothetical to chew on:

Let’s suppose that on October 15, 2008 at 6:48 PM I purchased a DRM-protected digital copy of Jimi Hendrix’ “The Star Spangled Banner (Live at Woodstock)” (The Hendrix Experience: The Best of Jimi Hendrix, Track 20) from the iTunes music store for $0.99.  Just shy of 3 months later, Apple announces that (finally) the Big Four have permitted them to distribute DRM-free music.  Consequently, a digital copy of Jimi Hendrix’ “The Star Spangled Banner (Live at Woodstock)” (The Hendrix Experience: The Best of Jimi Hendrix, Track 20) is now available DRM-free for exactly the same price of $0.99.  I, however, being the loyal customer that I am, and having purchased the song months ago, must now pay an additional $0.30—bringing my grand total to $1.29—to, essentially, obtain exactly the same copy that another consumer can now purchase for $0.99.

Again, is this fair?  And beyond fairness, does this not encourage consumers to hesitate to purchase any protected digital media in hopes that an unprotected (i.e. more versatile) version will emerge at a price cheaper than that of the protected version + an upgrade?  Perhaps I should return my shiny new digi video copy of Forgetting Sarah Marshall (purchased protected for $9.99) and instead wait until the DRM-free version comes out.

Presumably, I will have saved myself 30%.