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November 26, 2008

Apple slammed for killing open-source iTunes

Latest iPods won't work with non-Apple software

Robert McMillan

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has criticised Apple's attempt to quash efforts to help the latest iPods and iPhones work with non-Apple software such as the Linux operating system.

Earlier this month, a lawyer from Apple's legal counsel, O'Melveny & Myers, managed to get an open-source project called the iPodhash pulled from Bluwiki, a free website used to create Wiki pages, saying the project is illegal under the terms of the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

"It has come to our attention that a website you operate, www.bluwiki.com, is disseminating information designed to circumvent Apple's FairPlay digital rights management system," wrote O'Melveny & Myers representative Ian Ramage in an email that was later posted to Bluwiki. "FairPlay is considered anti-circumvention technology under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The DMCA explicitly prohibits the dissemination of information that can be used to circumvent such technology."

Bluwiki's founder, Sam Odio, complied with the takedown request, but on Tuesday he said that iPodhash's developer is not trying to get around Apple's copy protection. "He's not developing software to unencrypt the songs," he said. "What he's actually doing is unencrypting the database."

Here's how the EFF explained the matter in a posting to its blog by senior staff attorney Fred von Lohmann:

In September 2007, Apple introduced new software into iTunes and the iPod that runs a cryptographic operation on iTunes data, creating a special number called a checksum hash. The number is used to ensure that the iPod is talking to Apple's iTunes software, rather than other programs such as Winamp or Songbird.

The Apple checksum was quickly reverse-engineered, allowing those other music-playing applications to be used with Apple's devices. Recently, however, Apple shipped new versions of the iPhone and iPod touch that use a new crypto technique that has not been cracked. That's what the engineers were discussing on Bluwiki, von Lohmann said.

"Although it doesn't appear that the authors had yet figured out the new iTunesDB hashing mechanism, Apple's lawyers nevertheless sent a nastygram to the wiki administrator," he wrote.

Neither Apple nor O'Melveny & Myers responded to requests for comment for this story.

In an interview, von Lohmann said Apple was using the DMCA to stifle free speech. "Apple is essentially saying here that people can't even talk about the mechanisms that Apple uses to lock in its music to the iTunes software," he said.

The checksum mechanism does not protect copyright on iTunes music; it's just supposed to confirm that the iPhone is communicating with iTunes, he added. "Nobody has ever suggested a purpose of this other than forcing iPod owners to use Apple's software," he said. "It's an anticompetitive tie-in device."

Because iTunes does not run on Linux, the iPodhash project is important to the Linux community, Odio said.

Founded in 2004, Bluwiki is a side project for Odio, an internet entrepreneur who said he supports the iPodhash project even though he's not involved with it.

Bluwiki is used by a variety of projects. It serves as a meeting place for video game enthusiasts and hosts tips and tricks info for a Facebook game called Pack Rat. The site gets about a million page views per month and is supported by donations, Odio said.

He hopes to be able to put the iPodhash project back on the site. "I regret having to do this," he said. "I may be able to put the site back on-line, but quite honestly it's unlikely because I can't afford a legal battle with Apple."

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Comments received


Roger Mailer said on Wednesday, 26 November 2008

If Microsoft had done something like this, the media and press would have been all over it, but as usual Apple gets a pass.

Ingrid Lassie said on Wednesday, 26 November 2008

Apple bullying tactics. Wonderful take on FairPlay...

Landy said on Wednesday, 26 November 2008

WOW...sometimes I can't believe the things that Apple gets away with.

Never owned a ipod,itouch,iphone and I never will!!!

littlenoodles said on Wednesday, 26 November 2008

I'd understand their encrypting the database if the purpose were to prevent copying songs off of an iPod, which is technically illegal, but only enforced by iTunes.

That has nothing to do with decrypting songs bought at the iTunes store, but it *does* allow sharing songs you ripped from CD's.

The iTunes one-way copying was part of Apple's concessions to RIAA paranoia that allowed the iPod to exist in the first place. Forcing you to use software other than iTunes on Linux had the side-effect of forcing you to use software that circumvented the one-way copying rule.

So, rather than produce iTunes for Linux, Apple ends up shutting down iPod use on Linux completely. Collateral damage, but damaging nonetheless.

littlenoodles said on Wednesday, 26 November 2008

I'd understand their encrypting the database if the purpose were to prevent copying songs off of an iPod, which is technically illegal, but only enforced by iTunes.

That has nothing to do with decrypting songs bought at the iTunes store, but it *does* allow sharing songs you ripped from CD's.

The iTunes one-way copying was part of Apple's concessions to RIAA paranoia that allowed the iPod to exist in the first place. Forcing you to use software other than iTunes on Linux had the side-effect of forcing you to use software that circumvented the one-way copying rule.

So, rather than produce iTunes for Linux, Apple ends up shutting down iPod use on Linux completely. Collateral damage, but damaging nonetheless.

TheL0grus said on Wednesday, 26 November 2008

Apple and Microsoft are cut from the same evil cloth. The only difference is Apple has pretty packaging.

Hoagus said on Wednesday, 26 November 2008

Sioux the bastiges!

matthews said on Wednesday, 26 November 2008

archos!
www.archos.com/products/imt/media.html?country=global&lang=en

Oh and screw Apple!

PC Mann said on Thursday, 27 November 2008

I use Linux as my main OS of choice & I am happy to use proprietary non-OSS on it if necessary e.g. Skype.

iTunes already on Microsoft OSes, so it's not as if Mac OSes only.

With the rise of Linux netbooks & Linux PCs in general, Apple should be more inclusive, not exclusive.

Vote with your wallets; get an alternative like Archos or Sandisk.

G Fernandes said on Thursday, 27 November 2008

Stop complaining - free your iPod. Install alternative firmware and throw iTunes away. Buy audio CDs or music from Amazon. iTunes is no longer the only trick on the market. Vote with your dollars.

Masked Cucumber said on Saturday, 29 November 2008

@Roger

True !

But keep in mind M$ is a monopolist, not Apple.

So M$ has by law more constraints than Apple.

But they are both using the same nasty and unfair tactics.

Our sole hope is linux...


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