In a report last week, we discussed the fact that the media has largely misreported a new piece of software called QTFairUse. Some reports have said that the software broke FairPlay, and at least. Foxit PDF software download and cloud service trial center. Free download PDF software for Windows, Mac, iOS, or Android to view, convert & edit PDF files.
| Original author(s) | Jon Lech Johansen |
|---|---|
| Initial release | November 2003; 17 years ago |
| Stable release | 2.5 / November 2006; 14 years ago |
| Operating system | Windows XP, Vista |
| Available in | English |
| Type | Audio |
| License | GNU General Public License |
| Website | www.hymn-project.org |
QTFairUse is a software application first released in November 2003 by Jon Lech Johansen. It dumps the raw output of a QuickTime AAC stream to a file, which could bypass the digital rights management (DRM) algorithm called FairPlay used to encrypt music content of media files such as those distributed by the iTunes Store, Apple'sonline music store. Although these resulting raw AAC files were unplayable by most media players at the time of release, they represented the first attempt at circumventing Apple's encryption. These early versions of QTFairUse would save only the 'raw' AAC (not contained in an MPEG-4 (MP4) container), but later incarnations properly supported full conversions.
Released under the terms of the GNU General Public License, QTFairUse is free software.
Technical approach[edit]
Functionally, the purpose of QTFairUse is to convert protected audio files (.m4p extension) purchased from Apple's iTunes Store into M4a files, without DRM. To accomplish this task it uses a rather uncommon approach: instead of removing the already present DRM, it waits for iTunes to play back the protected file and intercepts the unencrypted AAC data stream as it is sent to the sound card. During this process, it copies unencrypted data, frame-by-frame, into RAM and then inserts it into a new MP4 container that is free of any DRM.
iTunes versions[edit]
The current release (as of December 13, 2007) of QTFairUse6, version 6-2.5, supports iTunes 6.0.2 through 7.0.2. An updated config file compatible with iTunes 7.1.2 was released on May 14, 2007. An iTunes 7.3.1 compatible configuration file was released on June 12, the same day Apple released the new iTunes update. An iTunes 7.4.2.4 compatible configuration file was released on September 18, 2007.[1] This config file is also compatible with iTunes 7.5.0.20. The config file needs to be updated with each new iTunes release; so far the author has released updates the same day as the new iTunes release. As of January 15, 2008, the author has not updated QTFairUse for the latest version of iTunes, and the current revision is not compatible with that version.
Cease and Desist[edit]
As of February 20, 2008, the QTFairUse project was given a cease and desist letter by Apple, Inc.All files were subsequently removed from the main download site.
References[edit]
Qtfairuse For Mac
- ^'hymn:: View Topic - QTFairUse6'. Igor Skochinsky & Hymn Project. Retrieved 2007-08-09.
External links[edit]
Qtfairuse Mac Download Free
- iTunes Copy Protection 'Cracked' - BBC News (Posted October 25, 2006)
- QTFairUse6: Is Hymn Finally Back To Strip FairPlay on iTunes 6? - Engadget (Posted August 29, 2006)
- DVD Jon Unlocks iTunes Locked Music - TheRegister (Posted November 22, 2003)
- Cease and Desist Order - Forum (Posted February 20, 2008)
The Media Knows Not Of What It Speaks Concerning iTMS DRM Issues
Qtfairuse Mac Download Mp3
by Alex Allee, 3:30 PM EST, November 25th, 2003
When Jon Johansen, previously known for writing the DeCSS code for decrypting DVDs for use on unsupported platforms, released an application called 'QTFairUse' meant to remove the DRM (Digital Restrictions Management) from Apple's iTunes Music Store files, the media went nuts over the story. Unfortunately, what they went nuts with were wild stories of everything from a magic DRM bullet to the ability to download free music files from the iTMS. None of this is the case.
In reality, QTFairUse isn't much more than an exploit to what could probably be called a vulnerability in Apple's QuickTime for Windows software, which handles the encoding, decoding, and authorization for iTunes. Johansen's software rips a raw AAC stream from within Quicktime just after it has been authorized, leaving an AAC file on the desktop.
According to some testing done by C|Net, the resulting file is not of much use in its resulting form. All of the header information in the original AAC file is lost, and all that is left is the raw AAC data, which will not play in most media players. From C|Net:
Johansen's program works by patching Apple's QuickTime software with a new software component of his own. Because he called the program a 'memory dumper,' programmers on message boards around the Web speculated that QTFairUse made a copy of the raw, unprotected song data from the computer's temporary memory after it was unprotected for playback, rather than simply recording the audio stream as it played. But this was not independently verified by Apple or Johansen.
If that is indeed the approach Johansen took, it's possible Apple could release an update to QuickTime that nullifies Johansen's work, much as Microsoft did for the early break of its digital rights management tools.
In several CNET News.com experiments, the unprotected file created by Johansen's program was not playable. Several people on Web message boards reported using a series of other MPEG 4 audio tools to create a usable song from the resulting file, however.
You can read the full article at C|Net's Web site.
The Mac Observer Spin:
At the moment, Johansen's application isn't much to worry about. Apple could swoop in at any moment and fix QuickTime, breaking QTFairUse in the process. In the meantime, the application is hardly DropStuff-esque in its functionality, and the resulting file isn't even usable without more work.It should also be stressed that the iTunes Music Store's DRM has not been cracked by this application. The AAC data is piped out of QuickTime after the file has been unencrypted in the normal matter. As far as we know, Apple's DRM has not yet been broken in the conventional sense.
That said, until Apple fixes this vulnerability in QuickTime for Windows, it's very possible that Johansen's application will be used in other applications that will provide DropStuff-like functionality. Of course, given the relatively low quality of iTMS songs and the difficulty of removing the DRM, cracked iTMS songs are unlikely to become a large market for mass peer to peer sharing. If anything, the program could allow legitimate iTMS users to use their purchased music across multiple platforms.
Qtfairuse Mac Download Mac
At least until Apple makes it go away.