14 DAY TRIAL // A few days ago, the headlines were abuzz with news of Microsoft's Windows Media DRM being cracked by a piece of software called FairUse4WM, now it seems that it is Apple's turn.
A program called QTFairUse6 has appeared that allows a user to remove the DRM from iTunes version 6.0.4 - 6.0.5 files. While these both are ways of removing DRM from protected files, the QTFairUse6 is so far regarded more as a curiosity than anything else.
The main difference between QTFairUse6 and FairUse4WM is in the way they work. While the program for removing Microsoft's DRM is very easy to use and has a graphical interface, the one for removing Apple's DRM consists of no UI, python scripts, and requires some knowledge of the Terminal to use. Not only is removing DRM with QTFairUse6 difficult, for the majority of users it is also impractical.
Apple lets the user burn any song purchased from the iTunes Music Store to a CD, from where it can be re-imported in any format and without any copy protection. It might seem like an extra step, but it is actually faster and easier than using QTFairUse6 especially if you are unfamiliar with python and the Terminal.
So far, this program for removing DRM has stirred little waves compared to FairUse4WM. This is primarily because the user needs to have purchased the songs from the iTunes Music store, and it is simply another, secondary way, to remove the DRM. This is a far cry from signing up for a Napster trial, downloading all the music your Internet connection can take and then removing the DRM from it, so it does not expire. Apple does not rent music, and for purchased music, it already offers an out of the box solution for removing the DRM, so QTFairUse6 is little more than bragging rights for hackers than any actual threat to Apple and their music store.