Sombody has finally cracked some versions of Microsoft’s DRM. The program is all over the P2P networks already.
I’m going to give this a go: I have lots of tunes on my hard drive that I ripped in WMA, foolishly allowing Windows to protect them. Now I can’t play them on the MP3 player I got for Christmas! 
I’ll report back if it works.
All toys eventually either break or get broken till they either get fixed again or,
they’re thrown away.
Microsoft keeps fixing their WGA and hackers keep finding ways to break it.
This protection isn’t any different.
Rats! It didn’t work. Not on my .wma files, at least.
Well why not just convert your WMA files then? Here is a free little tool.
Thanks justin1278, but my player plays .wma files- the problem is that the files are protected so that they will only play on my computer. The converter you link to won’t touch them.
The site is also broken in Firefox. Had to dig up IE to look at it. Been a long time since I had to do that!
Everything protected by a human can be breached by another humen.
Just be honest and don’t steel.
Hello Eddy,
But I think they won’t enjoy it that long, and there are more intelligent ways to get to information then resorting to these “ïnferior” methods. All that is digitalized can be found, lest you be a good searcher. Learn people how to search & surf the Net, and they do not have to reverse crack and use script kiddy methods anymore. All is out there for the taking, the only thing is you must know where to look. Besides hacking protection is invoking heavier protection, it is an ongoing process that leads nowhere, only restrictive measures for the meek. (In Dutch: de goeien lijden met de kwaaien"),
polonus
seems Apple`s taking a hit on their I tunes DRM as well ;D
Well then it would appear that you actually purchased these songs from Windows Media player then? Just a guess. Ok I used this to get past the iTunes protection so I am sure it will work with the Windows media one.
Burn the wma files to a CD to create an audio CD, then rip the files in MP3 format using a CD ripper, the link I posted above comes with a CD ripping component so that should work fine.
P.S. I don’t understand why it won’t open in Firefox, works fine for me ???
Well then it would appear that you actually purchased these songs from Windows Media player then?]Well then it would appear that you actually purchased these songs from Windows Media player then?
No, I ripped the music from CD. I can therefore just as easily rip them again- I now have DRM turned off- but it would have been nice just to defeat the DRM rather than spend hours ripping dozens of CD’s.
I think they might be protected by DRM 9, which this tool won’t break.
Thanks anyway.
P.S. I don't understand why it won't open in Firefox, works fine for me
The menus appeared to be broken in Firefox because you get a cursor while hovering rather than a finger, but in fact they are clickable links.
I finally got FairUse4WM to work for me! 
Now I can start to use that MuVo I got for Christmas.
FairUse4WM is currently available from BetaNews:
http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/FairUse4WM/1156529648/1
Also on BetsNews:
“Microsoft Sues FairUse4WM Developers”
http://www.betanews.com/article/Microsoft_Sues_FairUse4WM_Developers/1159371255
Grab a copy while you can, for use on tracks you already own, of course.
Hi FwF,
Read this and see the one-sidedness of it all:
http://www.eff.org/IP/DRM/guide/
Microsoft’s campaign is meant to make you comfortable with its limited universe of compatible products. But what happens if you later want to switch to a WMA-incompatible iPod, or a superior device that Microsoft won’t license? You’ll have to rebuy your music collection. Unlike MP3s, you can’t easily convert DRM-crippled music to a different format. Likewise, if you switch music stores, you might have to buy a new set of compatible devices. And if the time comes that stores and devices no longer support your DRM, you’re entirely out of luck.
polonus
Hi Polonus,
Yes, this was an interesting article to say the least. I have seen many changes here in the U.S. during my lifetime. All or most of them have been changes taking away something we used to have. Not liking the way things are going. Have a nice day Polonus. I guess music is another way to take something away from us. 
Well Neal63,
There is an alternative: http://sourceforge.net/projects/openipmp/ also used in streaming radio.
It was always new media that wins over old (remember the days FM coast to coast lost out (had to change frequencies, the man that lost (also lost all his assets) jumped a thirteen story building eventually, while the others could start rolling out).
The thing that is always striking to me in these matters, that they start out giving it away for free, and the when customers are accustomed to it, you have to pay and pay and pay. Read Lawrence Lessig’s e-book on http://free-culture.org/
polonus
FwF, if even you are one of those who unconsiously put their music in copy-protection jail, I guess it was just lucky of me to happen to be using a good old CD ripper. 
Neal & polonus, I think intellectual property laws are one of the most important keys in the success of the independence of America. It’s rather sad to see they are begun to be abused, making us slavish consumerist cash-cow. IMHO, before defending MS, I think Americans may need to think what they should be really proud of. 
Really, I didn’t give it much thought when I ripped the CD’s and just went with the default. At that time MP3 players didn’t have WMA support, and I wasn’t even thinking about buying a player. A few years later they came down in price a lot and started supporting WMA, so I stopped DRM protecting CD’s I ripped and eventually got a player. Now I can drop any of my CD’s to it, and also transfer them to a new computer when I upgrade.
Of course I’m not whiter than white- a few of the CD’s that spent time spinning in my D: drive weren’t actually mine.
I’m afraid I’ve been a copyright criminal since back in the 70’s when I got my first cassette recorder. 
Hi FwF,
The actual discussion behind DRM etc. is much broader. Stallman has the following to say about it: I quote:
[i]Stallman: The collision that is coming is in your computer. The MPAA [Motion Picture Association of America] and the RIAA [Recording Industry Association of America] have been trying for years to deny you the control over the software you use and deny you control of your own computer. They have procured unjust laws such as the DMCA [Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998], specifically to prohibit you from regaining control.
Officially, MPAA stands for Motion Picture Association of America, but I suggest that MPAA stands for Malicious Power Attacking All. And RIAA stands for Really Intends to Alienate the Audience.
Those who seek to impose DRM [digital rights management] generally design it so that the public cannot escape from it. Whatever software they use to implement DRM, they will try to prevent you from changing it. Congress is now considering bills that would prohibit digital TV and radio receivers that are built in ways that the public can change.
The goal of releasing a program under the GNU GPL is to assure you the freedom to change the program. If the perpetrators of DRM achieve their goal, that implies ours has been defeated. So we must refuse to cooperate with them, and that means a collision. This collision course is the only ethical course for software developers.
DRM ought to be prohibited by law, but we cannot achieve that by changing the license of our software. What we can achieve is to prevent our software from being packaged such that you don’t really have the freedom to change it.[/i] end quote
polonus
And just think, all of this started when they stopped us from downloading those little midi files. :‘( :’(
FwF, I wonder if this makes me whiter than you are ;D but I only buy music, which I like enough to pay. Listening music is one of my important hobbies, which probably made me little more conscious of the licensing issue than some others are. I have a habit of ripping my CDs to open-source formats. Ironically, this also limits my choice of the players while this buys me some freedom in file-management.
Polonus, there seems to be a pattern in our politics. The privileged like to limit freedom of the others since it keeps them privileged. So, will Stallman be able to become Jefferson in software licensing? My understanding of technology is very limited but I sometimes see there is a good reason they call it open-source movement.