Digital Rights Management Zach Milko

Overview Definition Why it exists DRM Today  Fairplay Opponents of DRM  DefectiveByDesign.org Future Conclusion Sources

What is DRM? Definitions:  Access control technologies used by publishers and copyright holders to limit usage of digital media or devices.  Any system that protects copyrights of media by enabling secure distribution of online data or disabling illegal distribution  Ultimately: Takes control away from user Limits the use of the product.

Why DRM? The birth of Internet & digital media has led to concerns from content providers: With modern technology users can:  Copy digital media Rip from cd, radio or online.  Distribute to others P2P/Torrent networks Burning cd’s Record labels & content providers wanted way to take control from users.

DRM Today DVD’s  HD DVD & Blue Ray Online Music Stores  Napster Online  iTunes Music Store Fairplay. Cable Companies  Developing DRM for: DVR & TiVO Audio Cd’s  Today DRM-Free  Sony BMG (2005) Sold Millions of cds with DRM Aimed to prevent copying.  Flawed / Crashed computers Massive recalls Class Action Lawsuits. Windows Vista  Includes DRM system.  Days after Vista’s release its DRM system was cracked.

Fairplay Apple’s DRM technology used with iTunes Store.  Uses key system to verify and authorize purchased music. AES Encryption based.  Songs always encrypted  Only authorized users can decrypt & play.

Fairplay Process 1. Prior to purchase from iTunes Store  User creates account with Apple Server iTunes creates a globally unique ID number for the computer to be authorized sends it to Apple's servers ID number assigned to the user's iTunes account.

Fairplay Process 2. User purchases song from iTunes Store: 1. a user key is created for the purchased song file. 2. The song is sent with a master key scrambled into it 3. The master key and song file are encrypted by the user key. – Copy of User Key sent to Apple Server

Fairplay process 3. To playback a song 1. iTunes finds the user key that corresponds to a song file and master key 2. user key decrypts the file back into a playable format Summary  Songs are always encrypted  iTunes Stores collection of user keys for all songs purchased  For Playback User key decrypts song files and plays them.

Fairplay process Up to 5 computers Can be authorized. When a new computer is added and authorized  iTunes creates a new globally unique ID number for itself and sends it to Apple  Apple's server sends the new machine entire set of user keys for all the tracks purchased. Thus new machine can play all songs purchased

Fairplay limitations Limit of 5 authorized computers Limit of 7 burned cds from a play list.  Cds burned w/out DRM quality is lower. Ipod can only hold 1 users library  Can’t go from pc to pc getting songs from multiple user accounts

Fairplay Problems Every restriction can be hacked or bypassed:  PlayFair Able to strip the encryption format away to reveal the underlying song file.  PyMusique & FairKeys Pretends to be iTunes requests user keys from Apple's servers and unlocks purchased songs. Enables Ipod access to multiple user accounts.

DRM Opponents Electronics Frontier Foundation Freeculture.org Foundation for a free Information Infrastructure Free Software Foundation Point of All:  DRM  Ineffective: doesn’t protect copyrights  Instead interferes with users lawful use of media

DefectiveByDesign.org Launched by:  Free Software Foundation Strongly Opposes DRM  DRM - Designed to restrict the end product  Invades user privacy  Limits fair use of media  Ultimately Will Cripple digital freedom

DefectiveByDesign.org Goals:  Raise public awareness  Target & eliminate DRM companies Tagging Campaign  members identify DRM products & companies.  These companies are tagged for consumers. Post on websites Gives consumers choice.

DRM and Apple Steve Jobs (Apple Inc.)  Publicly opposed to DRM  Said he would drop Fairplay if labels would agree to license music to iTunes without DRM. Sony, EMI, Universal and Warner October  EMI Licensed DRM–free music to iTunes store  iTunes now offers some DRM–Free music

Future of DRM Watermarking:  Embeds data into the audio or video file. Undetectable and inseparable from file  Information included: the copyright owner the distributor the distribution chain Identifies the purchaser of the music  Provides Liability instead of limiting use. Microsoft  granted patent on new watermarking technology – Sept, 2007

DRM Conclusion Frustrates Users  Limited in what they can do with purchased media.  Anti – DRM groups gaining support. – Online stores moving DRM-Free  iTunes = some DRM-Free  E-music = All DRM-Free 2 nd in sales behind iTunes Ultimately ineffective  Almost every system can be hacked. HD DVD, Vista, Fairplay, etc. Good attempt by content providers but doesn’t work.

Conclusion Definition Why it exists DRM Today  Fairplay Opponents of DRM  DefectiveByDesign.org Future Conclusion

Sources A4E A083-FF8610E66A46.html Presentation_LTH_ pdf Defectivebydesign.org html