Microsoft tackles anti-copy hole

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Microsoft has said it is working to close a breach of its technology that protects music digital files from copyright infringement.

A program called Fairuse4wm has been posted on the net and is said to be capable of bypassing Microsoft's Digital Rights Management (DRM) system.

It could spell problems for internet music shops, potentially enabling users to download unlimited files.

Microsoft said it hoped to deploy an update to fix the problem soon.

DRM is used to control people's access to digital data.

It is commonly employed on music downloading sites to restrict the use of music purchased and downloaded online to ensure copyright is not infringed.

Read more of the article @ the BBC.

FairUse4WM 1.1
Publisher's Description:

FairUse4WM will extract the personally identifiable information (description keys) from Media Player for the purpose of allowing the user to improve the interoperability of legitimately acquired media files. At least one file with an active license is necessary.
betanews
Download FairUse4WM 1.1 @ the above link.
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A related Article on p2pnet called Microsoft vs FairUse4WM.
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Microsoft and FairUse4WM
Now, this isn't a "vulnerability" in the normal sense of the word: digital rights management is not a feature that users want. Being able to remove copy protection is a good thing for some users, and completely irrelevant for everyone else. No user is ever going to say: "Oh no. I can now play the music I bought for my computer in my car. I must install a patch so I can't do that anymore."
Schneier on Security

Check out this doom9 forum thread FairUse4WM - a WM/DRM removal program with downloadable links for the new version of FairUse4WM 1.2.
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From: Windows Media License Agreements
Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006
To: Windows Media License Agreements
Subject: Status - Windows Media DRM circumvention
MICROSOFT CONFIDENTIAL

Dear Windows Media DRM Licensee,

As you may know, on August 28 2006 Microsoft released an update of the individualized blackbox component (IBX) of Windows Media DRM to address a circumvention of the Windows Media DRM system. Unfortunately, a new version of the tool that circumvents Windows Media DRM technology on Windows PCs has surfaced, breaking the content protection that our content partners apply to their intellectual property such as music or video content.

As we did with the initial circumvention, Microsoft will use the built-in renewability features of Windows Media DRM to deploy an update to address this circumvention. We have teams working around the clock on this project, and this update will include incrementing the Security Version of the individualized blackbox component, which should ease deployment and make it easier to detect the update remotely. We will continue to work closely with you to inform you of our progress and help you update your systems as needed. As always, we appreciate your feedback and ongoing support.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding this circumvention or related updates, please contact (email removed)

Kind regards,

Windows Media Licensing Department

Microsoft Consumer Media Technology
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LMAO
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Sky hit by return of Windows Media DRM crack

A second version of a utility that breaks Microsoft's Windows Media security patch has prompted Sky to suspend its movie download service

Broadcaster Sky has suspended its broadband movie download service after a Microsoft security patch on Windows Media's digital rights management (DRM) was cracked.
ZDNet
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Microsoft sends anti-FairUse4WM takedown notices

Microsoft has begun to send out odd takedown notices against people who host copies of FairUse4WM, a program that lets you get more use out of the music and video you buy by breaking off the DRM.

Microsoft is sending takedown notices to FairUse4WM hosters asserting that FairUse4WM violates Microsoft's copyright in Windows Media Player. This is an odd claim -- it may be that FairUse4WM is a DMCA violation because it circumvents Windows Media Player, but it's quite a stretch to say that it violates Microsoft's copyright.

The Microsoft FairUse4WM takedown notice doesn't actually purport to be a DMCA notice, but it follows the format and wording of a DMCA notice. DMCA notices shield ISPs from liability -- if you get a notice and abide by it, you aren't on the hook for any infringements committed by your customers.

This notice, though, does no such thing. It demands that you take down FairUse4WM, but doesn't offer any immunity from future prosecution in exchange (it may be that failure to abide by a notice like this could make things worse for you in court).

It's a strange strategy from Redmond: there's clearly no infringement of Microsoft's copyright here. Instead, the violation is of the notional "compatibility right" that the DMCA seems to create: a right to control whose software can interoperate with yours. Link
Source : Boing Boing

Related articles:
FairUse4WM Take Down orders
Microsoft tells web site owners to take down FairUse4WM
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The Engadget Interview: Viodentia, creator of FairUse4WM

We had a few things to ask the person whom we've identified as Viodentia, the creator of FairUse4WM -- the thorn in Microsoft's (and Yahoo's, and Napster's, and Real's, etc.) digital media business for a month now. Seems at once likely and not that the big DRM scheme developed by the largest software company was broken and broken again by a single person, but here we are -- and here's what Viodentia had to say about the digital music business, where Microsoft went wrong with PlaysForSure, and what s/he thinks about this latest memo and patch.
Engadget
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Viodentia responds to Microsoft, releases FairUse4WM 1.3

After yesterday's news that Microsoft was launching a lawsuit campaign against the John Does responsible for FairUse4WM, we weren't expecting the next volley to come so soon. So it's somewhat contrary to expectations that Viodentia has released the newest version of his software to counter Microsoft's latest PlaysForSure IBX update (dated 9/23, regarding the memo which we recently printed).

We asked Viodentia about Redmond's accusation that he and/or his associates broke into its systems in order to obtain the IP necessary to crack PlaysForSure; Vio replied that he's "utterly shocked" by the charge. "I didn't use any Microsoft source code. However, I believe that this lawsuit is a fishing expedition to get identity information, which can then be used to either bring more targeted lawsuits, or to cause other trouble." We're sure Microsoft would like its partners and the public to think that its DRM is generally infallible and could only be cracked by stealing its IP, so Viodentia's conclusion about its legal tactics seems pretty fair, obvious, and logical to us. An American megacorp swinging around bogus indictments in order to root out a hacker? Surely you jest!
Engadget

Read this thread FairUse4WM - a WM/DRM removal program on Doom9's forum for more info & download links to download FairUse4WM v1.3.
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MS accuses DRM hacker of source code theft

Microsoft has launched a lawsuit against the unknown hacker who created a program to strip DRM code from Windows Media Player files.
The Register
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fu4wm fix for new wmp11
I have made a determination to the effect that existing logic embedded inside fairuse4wm suffices for the individualized components contained within microsoft's latest release of wmp11.

While I disavow all authorship claims to the original code; please allow my presentation of a executable patch to fairuse4wm enabling this support

http://storeandserve.com/download/57...13fix.zip.html
http://maxshare.4000webs.com/downloa...7a9bce4867c022
http://www.ex0.biz/uploads/1106/1163043340.zip
51cceb20d7d600c6e1c982f86d968061 *fu4wm13fix.exe

fairuse4wm has been corrupted by reversing upx compression and redacting these locations, provided by me as hexa offset, starting value and finalized result
0004238D: 75 90
0004238E: 08 90
00042395: 74 EB
00042909: 04 24
00085444: 00 66
00085446: 00 69
00085448: 00 78
source: Doom9 forum
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